Sole Survivor
by punkydiva17
Summary: *Story Completed* She survived one of the worst ordeals a human being could endure. Joining the WWE meant a nomadic lifestyle. But there's still that feeling that physician's assistant Serena Lords is being followed by a dark face from the past...
1. Chapter 1

He sauntered through the black curtain after his match, the white Intercontinental Championship in one hand, the other running through his sweat-slicked black hair. It had been a hard-fought match, with a lot of near-falls, but he had narrowly escaped losing to Chris Jericho and The Miz. From his spot behind the table perched in the Gorilla, WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon flashed Wade Barrett the thumbs up. He nodded, acknowledging Vince's assessment of the match before he disappeared through the black curtain and down the steps that would take him into the back area of the arena. He waved to Phil Brooks, the tattooed former WWE Champion known as CM Punk. He was talking to Paul Heyman and AJ Lee. Phil was dressed in baggy jeans and a zip-up hooded sweatshirt, a stark contrast to Heyman's suit. AJ looked like the poster child for Hot Topic, standing with her hips leaned slightly to the left, a finger curling her dark brown hair as she grinned, laughing at whatever Phil was talking about.

The locker room was a lively environment as usual, bustling with seamstresses, production assistants, cameras, writers and Superstars and Divas. Wade spotted Randy Orton, dressed in an old Viper T-shirt. His arms were crossed over his chest as he spoke sternly to Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase. Wade didn't bother acknowledging the trio. He didn't get along with Randy Orton at all. It was also considered suicide to interrupt Randy Orton while he was talking to somebody else. A repented bad boy, Randy still had a temper that was considered stuff of legend.

Several feet from Randy, Wade spotted his old friend, Drew McIntyre. He was dressed in leather pants and a bandana that held back his long light hair, filming a Backstage Fallout segment with his 3MB partners, Jinder Mahal and Heath Slater. He smirked; out of the three of them – Wade, Drew McIntyre and Sheamus – Drew had always been the wacky one. He was happy Drew finally had a chance to let his wild side out. The trio was dressed in matching leather pants, acting like ridiculous rock stars. Sunglasses covered at least half of Drew's face as he let out his best rock star scream for the camera. It took everything Wade had not to laugh and ruin the shot as he kept moving towards catering.

He spotted her with Layla El, taking a look at the Diva's shoulder. She stopped momentarily, only to sip from a water bottle. He assumed Layla had hurt himself during the botch-fest that had been her match with Tamina Snuka earlier on. He studied the girl with Layla, the new physician's assistant. Since she'd arrived in the company, there had been a lot of whispers about her, about what her life was like prior to WWE. He didn't know all of the details; nobody did and nobody dared to press her for details. Her name had been all over the papers, but it was a taboo subject backstage, especially when she was in the vicinity.

John Cena had told Wade that she was twenty-eight and her name was Serena Lords. John had tried to ask Serena out on a date, but she informed him that he wasn't her type. It had stung John, but had given Randy, Wade and Sheamus plenty of fodder. John wasn't used to being turned down.

Wade studied her. She was a pretty girl, with a well-sculpted face that was flattered by her razor-straight bangs that ended just above perfectly sculpted eyebrows. Her hair was pin-straight, parted in the middle and the color of dark coffee. Her eyes were piercing and light blue, framed by long eyelashes. She always wore small, black rectangular shaped glasses and never a stitch of makeup. Wade didn't think she needed it. Tonight she was dressed in flared black pants and a sky blue turtleneck that ended just past her hips. The sleeves ended at the crook of her arms. A small charm bracelet hung off her wrist.

"Thank you," he heard Layla say to her. "Say, the girls and I are going out for drinks and stuff tonight. Do you want to come out with us?" Wade could see the apprehension on her face, but Layla was outright ignoring it. "Come on, Serena – live a little!"

"Maybe another night," Serena told her. "I promise."

Defeated, Layla thanked Serena for working on her shoulder, grabbing her bottle of iced tea and disappearing down the hall. Serena ran a hand through her hair. She picked up her water bottle and took a sip.

"No girl's night, love?"

"Sweet Jesus!" she gasped. She jumped, stumbling, but he reached out and grabbed her arm, keeping her from going down to the floor. Wade noticed she looked like she was ready to have a heart attack. Then she broke into a half-laugh, half-sob sort of sound. Wade studied her intently. "I'm sorry. I didn't even hear you walk up."

"That's okay. Are you gonna be all right?"

"I'll be fine," she promised, but he didn't seem all that convinced.

"I don't believe we've met yet." He extended his hand for her to shake. She took it, surprised at how firm the handshake was. "Wade Barrett."

"Serena Lords. I'm working with Dr. Rios…"

"I've seen you around," he told her, grabbing himself a bottle of vitamin water. He studied her, noting that she still looked very pale. "Are you sure you're going to be all right, love? Maybe we should get you seated somewhere. Or, if you'd prefer, I could always carry you to Dr. Rios." She laughed, her cheeks turning pink.

"I'm all right. I'm working on it. Really, I am. I'm not normally so jumpy…" she assured him. He stared at her and she sighed. "I just lied to you, and I have no idea why. I'm sorry." He chuckled. She had a cute little personality. Wade knew she had survived one of the worst experiences a human being could go through. She would be reeling for a long time. He understood.

Serena studied him. He was very tall, six-foot-seven, with tattoos on both arms that had yet to be covered by a T-shirt. He had a beard. His eyes were genuine, but twinkling with a hint of mischief. She didn't know what to make of him. Even though everybody had gone out of their way to be nice to her since arriving in the WWE, Serena often wondered how much of it she was confusing for pity. She could see it in their eyes; they knew everything. In spite of her best efforts trying to run and hide, her name was in the papers, her face plastered on everything from _Good Morning America _to the _Today _show. After the trial, she had finished the last six months of her schooling and joined WWE, thankful to have a job where she couldn't be in the same place for more than a few days at a time. She felt homeless, though, like she was meant to wander like a nomad. As long as he was alive, she'd always feel him close by and the thoughts frightened her.

"Do you need to talk?" he asked, sensing the dark thoughts. She shook her head.

"Thanks, but no thanks. I'll be fine, Mr. Barrett, I promise."

"All right, but if you ever need an ear, love, you know you can talk to me."

"I appreciate that." She'd already heard the same speech from John Cena, Chris Jericho, Sheamus and the Shield, the trio faction consisting of Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns. She finished her water and threw the empty bottle into the recycling bin. "I probably should have said yes to Layla and her offer tonight. I'm sure everyone thinks I'm some kind of snob."

"Don't worry about it, sweetheart. It's not your fault if they don't understand."

"Thanks. I should get back to Ferdinand," she told him. "It was nice meeting you, Mr. Barrett."

"Wade."

She smiled. "Wade. It was very nice meeting you."

"Oh, the pleasure was mine," he told her with a grin. She blushed again. He watched as she walked away, sighing as he sipped on his vitamin water. He grimaced at the taste, looking at the bottle for the flavor. "Gross." He looked up as Serena disappeared into the trainer's room. He noted that she still looked pretty faint. He could understand why; after all, she was Serena Lords, the sole survivor of the Staten Island Slasher.


	2. Chapter 2

_I really don't like the idea of you being home alone for Christmas._

Serena stared at the text message on the screen of her phone and smiled. It was Seth Rollins, who spent the past week trying to convince her to come home with him for Christmas. When word spread around the locker room that she was spending Christmas alone, people were inviting her to come home with them for the holidays, everybody from Chris Jericho to John Cena. Even Damien Sandow had offered. Well, she was pretty sure he offered. She couldn't understand what he was saying to her, but it whatever he said seemed genuine. She turned them all down. She didn't her problems to put a damper on everybody else's holiday.

It was Christmas Eve and Serena's cottage in Roselle Park, New Jersey, was blanketed in snow. There was a fire roaring inside the stone fireplace and hot chocolate on the coffee table. The living room was decorated for Christmas, complete with red and green garland, and decorative snowflakes that hung from the ceiling. In the corner beside the window stood the Christmas tree, well-lit and decorated, complete with Christmas presents underneath. A box of Belgian chocolates sat opened on the table, a treat Serena's mother dropped off to her before leaving for her Christmas cruise to Alaska. Considering she was never that close with her mother, Serena wasn't too upset that she wasn't going to be home for Christmas. Everyone on the roster who spoke to her, on the other hand, was horrified.

Serena lived in a three-storey cottage that she purchased with the inheritance her father had left her. The third floor was an attic, with a circular window that gave a little light to the small room. It was topped with a light blue roof that complimented the light brown siding. The second floor had a balcony, furnished with a barbecue and an outdoor dining set, while the ground floor had a patio equipped with a bench and a coffee table. In the spring it would have a beautiful garden full of gardenias, chrysanthemums, daffodils and violets. When the snow melted, it would reveal a stone walkway that led up to the front steps.

The first thing Serena did when she moved in was install alarms and motion-sensitive lights. If anybody even stepped foot on her property the front yard would light up like Christmas. She had the police on speed dial on both her cell phone and landline. She knew she was still suffering with the fallout, that she was still paranoid. Her attacker was behind bars, sentenced to life without the possibility of parole for eight murders, along with her abduction and assault. A long-time opponent of the death penalty, once she became the victim of a violent crime, she found herself wishing that New York hadn't disestablished the death penalty. She felt like a horrible human being for thinking that the only way she would ever be safe was if another human being was dead, but it was the reality she woke up with every morning.

Serena stoked the fire and sat down on her comfy white couch, rearranging the pretty throw pillows. The TV was on ABC, playing the cartoon _Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas_, one of her all-time favorite Christmas movies, next to _Gremlins_. Her cell phone vibrated again. She smiled.

_You could have come home with me. I wouldn't have minded…_

This time it was Dean Ambrose. Often aloof, distant and cold to the other people on the roster, Serena and Dean seemed to click for reasons that made everybody scratch their heads. Dean wasn't known for being the friendliest of the Shield guys, but he treated Serena like a little sister, like someone who needed to be protected. It took Serena a while to realize that they wanted to be her friends out of genuine care, and not out of the pity that has trailed her since the trial.

_I don't want to be a bother, Dean. Besides, you hardly get to see your family…_

She sighed. There were a lot of invitations for her to go other places for Christmas. The trial had only ended six months ago, and everybody – outside of her mother – knew that this Christmas was going to be very tough for her. She was desperate to prove she was strong, though. That she could handle being by herself. She didn't want to be a damsel in distress; she wanted to be a warrior, a fighter.

On the fireplace mantle she kept a photograph of her with her ex-boyfriend, Shaun. He was supposed to be the ninth to die, but had ended up the eighth. Serena still suffered from survivor's guilt over the ordeal. They had only been dating a couple months when they were abducted on the way home from a night at the movies. After weeks in captivity, being tortured and picked at, she had seen him die. It had been very close for her, but she had survived. Some days she wished she hadn't. Shaun's death still haunted her. No therapist, no amount of medication would help her un-see what she had saw during her time as a deranged killer's prisoner.

She sipped her cocoa and tried to focus on the cartoon. It was easy for her to slip into the bad thoughts, and the worst part was she had nobody close to talk to about it. She still felt uncomfortable burdening her co-workers with her problems, issues that included anxiety, depression, vivid nightmares and irritability. She had medication, but she was reluctant to take it, afraid of the side effects. If he escaped from prison, she wanted to be alert. The police assured her that he would never bother her again, but she didn't believe it. She was the sole survivor, the one who had fingered him in court, had cinched his conviction. Serena had already come to the conclusion that one day he was going to come back and try to finish the job. She would never feel safe again.

The phone vibrated again. _You're no burden, Serena. You shouldn't be alone at Christmas. _

She smiled. Very quickly, she was gaining a circle that was becoming like a family. Seth, Dean and Roman were like the big brothers she always wanted but never got. Her mother was vain and shallow, the kind that demanded perfection because she was far from it. As it was, her mother didn't even accompany her to every day of the trial for the man who had almost cost Serena her life. Some days she felt so awkward sitting alone in the pews, openly weeping at the crime photos, mourning the other victims, her only comfort coming from a few of the news reporters for channels like HLN, CNN and In Session. They were always respectful enough to not ask her where her mother was. She always refused their requests to do interviews, not wanting to draw any more attention to what she had survived. Serena never had the dream of becoming famous, and she didn't want this to be what she would be known for to millions of people.

_I'm okay. I promise._

She sat back and sighed. Last week, she turned down Layla again. Now the Divas all had their nose out of joint with her, which was the last thing she had wanted. She felt so embarrassed at dinner, eating alone at a table, noticing Alicia Fox and Rosa Mendes pointing, whispering and laughing at her. Dean, Seth and Roman joined her for dinner, but it didn't make her feel any less self-conscious. She was desperate to not become the reclusive agoraphobic, but she was having a hard time doing the things she used to do. She never felt safe anymore. Turning her head, she looked into the kitchen, at the kitchen table where her current puzzle was half-finished. It's what she did with her insomnia.

The phone vibrated again. She jumped, startled. Verbally berating herself for being so jumpy over the tiniest of things, she picked up the phone. It was Dean. _I worry about you. I know Seth and Roman do, too. _

She felt the familiar sting of hot tears behind her eyelids. It was nice to feel cared for. But she didn't know what to say to him. "What am I supposed to tell him, that I worry about me, too?" she sighed. She texted a quick thank-you, and put the phone down on the cushion beside her, feeling stupid for having such a response. She sipped her cocoa and watched as _The Grinch _turned into _Frosty The Snowman_. The phone vibrated again. She sighed.

_I think we should come see you in the next two days or so._

She smiled. _You guys don't have to do that. I'll be fine. I will see you guys on Monday_. She sent the message. She heard a sound outside and struggled to steady her breathing. Serena rested her head against the couch. "I really should look at getting a dog or something," she sighed. She popped one of the chocolates in her mouth and smiled. The phone vibrated again. Instead of answering right away, Serena went into the kitchen to fix herself another cup of cocoa.


	3. Chapter 3

From his spot standing in the doorway of the trainer's room, he could see she was shaking like a leaf.

It started as a little tremor in her hands as she struggled to zip up her little suitcase. It took her a few tries, but she finally managed to get it zipped up all the way. Over the course of a couple minutes he watched as the shaking her hands turned into a full-body tremor. Her breathing was slow and deep. He could hear her murmuring under her breath, but he couldn't make out what she was saying. Dr. Rios and the other medical personnel were long gone for the night, leaving Serena alone to tidy up and leave. Tonight she was dressed in a black quarter-sleeved turtleneck and blue jeans. He wondered just how many turtlenecks were hanging in her closet. In all the time she had been working for them, he'd never seen her neck. He realized it was a strange, random thought.

She turned, as if she could sense him behind her. The shriek of surprise that escaped her lips said otherwise. He watched as she became unhinged in front of him, her breathing going from labored to full-on panic attack. She began to gasp, her face draining of color. He rushed into the room as she doubled over, her hand tightly gripping the tabletop to keep herself on her feet. He put his arm around her, gripping her shoulder tightly, wedging her against him and the table to keep her on her feet. "Come on, love," he coaxed gently, leading her to the closest chair and sitting her down. He rummaged around the room as she sputtered and gasped, rocking back and forth, her arms wrapped around her stomach. He found a paper bag in a drawer and thrust it in her face. "Breathe, Serena," he told her. She took the bag and began to breathe into it. "Breathe," he soothed, stroking her back.

After a few minutes she began to catch her breath. With Wade's assistance, she found herself calming down, though there was still a slight shake in her hands. "I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to scare you," he offered. She forced a smile on her face, but it did nothing to quell the guilt he felt. There was an unfamiliar emotion he noticed in her eyes. "I really need to stop sneaking up on you, don't I, dear?"

"That'd be great," she breathed.

"Can I get you some water or something? You look like you're ready to pass out."

"I'll be all right," she assured him. She tried her best to regain her composure, but Wade could tell she was still frazzled. "What are you doing here so late? I thought everybody was gone by now." She was still clutching the paper bag in her hand. She looked at the paper bag with disgust in her eyes and sighed. "You must think I'm a real wimp."

"Not at all," he assured her. She ran a hand through her hair. "Do you want to talk about it? I'm not really good at this sort of thing, but I could listen if it'll help make you feel better." He watched as a smile spread across her face. He realized she had a beautiful smile, one that made her entire face glow, in spite of the terror in her eyes and the shake in her nerves.

"I appreciate that, but I'll be all right. Really, I will," she told him. There was an uncomfortable beat between the two of them. "I know it's uncomfortable to be around me."

"What? No…" Wade started, but she put her hand up.

"It's okay. I know everyone here talks. They think I don't hear it, but I do." She stood, throwing the bag into the garbage. "It bothers Dean the most, but I'm used to it." She picked up the case. Wade rushed in and took it from her. "You don't have to do that…"

"It's fine. Are you doing anything tonight?"

"It's one in the morning. I'm heading back to my hotel room to sleep," Serena told him. She realized quickly that it was Wade's attempt at idle conversation and felt stupid. "I'm sorry. My head isn't right tonight. It's no excuse, but it's really the only explanation I have." She turned off the light and together they walked down the hall, towards the back doors that would lead to the stairwell that would take them to the underground parking lot. "What about you? Are you off to drink the Miz under the table or something?" He laughed.

"Not at all," he answered. "I just picked up a new book. I might get the first chapter or two read tonight."

"Is it a good book?"

"Just a band biography," he told her. He felt like the conversation was beginning to stall. "Are you reading anything interesting?" She shook her head.

"I haven't read a book in a while." She snickered. "Well, outside of a medical textbook, anyway."

"What was the last book you read?"

"I finished _The Hunger Games _trilogy a while back. I liked it, but I don't seem to have the attention span that I used to have," she confessed. "I distract way too easy." He held the door open for her. She thanked him softly and began the descent to the parking lot. He followed close behind.

"What do you do for fun?" he asked. The conversation felt awkward. What she had been through was always going to be the elephant in the room until she talked about it, but he wasn't about to press her for details.

"I don't do much. I bought a cottage a while back, so I've just been doing repairs and renovations. It's in Roselle Park, New Jersey." He nodded. He had already assumed that she left New York after the trial had concluded. Wade didn't know how anybody could stay in the same place where such horrors happened. "Have you ever been there?"

"I can't say I have," he told her.

"It's really quite beautiful." He held open the door for her that led into the parking lot. She thanked him as she walked through. "Right now it's just covered in snow. It looks so pretty." They walked towards her rental car, a white Chrysler. They stopped in front of the driver's side door. "Thank you for walking me to my car," she said with a smile.

"I'm really sorry for scaring you," he apologized. She dismissed it with a wave.

"It's not your fault. I'm still just very jumpy. I probably will be for the rest of my life," she confessed. "Maybe for the future, though, we could get you fitted for a bell or a whistle or something." Wade roared with laughter. Serena couldn't help but laugh with him.

"I didn't mean to scare you, Serena."

"I know you didn't. I'm not lying, Wade – I am trying to work through it. It's been a little tough."

"Did you want to talk about it?" he asked. She shook her head.

"Maybe one of these days," she answered. "But I just can't right now."

"Well, I could give you my number. That way if you need to talk, I'll be a phone call away," he offered. She smiled. Dean, Roman and Seth had made her the same offer. He pulled out his cell phone and went into the new contacts. "What's your number, love?" She smiled and gave it to him. "If I'm ever in Roselle Park, maybe I'll get you to give me a tour."

"That sounds like a plan," she said. She pressed the button on the keychain and unlocked the car. Wade opened the door for her. She shot him a strange look. "I didn't know men still did that."

"What?"

"Opened doors. And here I've been thinking chivalry is dead," she said with a smirk. She got into the car and buckled her seatbelt. Serena flashed him a smile. "Have a good night."

"You, too."


	4. Chapter 4

"Listening to anything good?"

Wade pulled a headphone out of his ear and looked to Serena. She was dressed in a sky blue turtleneck dress with a white belt around the waist. Underneath the dress she wore white tights and wedged sandals. Her hair was down, framing her face in a way that was downright flattering. He smiled. "Just a little Joy Division, love. How was your Christmas?"

"I got through it," she said with a smile. "Dean and the guys came out to see me after Christmas."

"You're awful close with those boys, aren't ya?"

I guess I am," she admitted sheepishly. "They look out for me the way that big brothers do."

"Do you have any…?"

"Goodness no," Serena said with a laugh. "My mother said I wrecked her figure enough." Wade blinked. He wasn't quite sure how to respond to such a personal tidbit of information. Serena sighed. "I'm sorry. I made you feel awkward. I've never been very perceptive, but I can tell that much." She leaned against the trunk Wade was leaning against. "I don't think I've ever heard Joy Division. Are they new?" Wade shook his head.

"They disbanded in the eighties after the lead singer died. They became New Order."

"New Order…didn't they do that _Blue Monday _song?"

"They did," he said, smiling.

"So what genre is Joy Division?"

"Brit punk," he answered, taking out the other headphone, holding it in his hand.

"Hello there, beautiful."

Dean Ambrose draped an arm over Serena's shoulder and pulled her into him. She stumbled, but fell into him. Roman and Seth crowded around them. They were all dressed in their usual black riot gear. Dean's hair was already wetted and slicked back. He grinned as Serena turned into him and gave him a hug. "Hi, guys. I was starting to wonder when you guys were showing up."

"You look great tonight, Serena. Thanks for having us in your home," Roman offered. She smiled and broke away from Dean, giving Roman and Seth a hug. Wade stood up straight, moving away from the black and silver trunk he had just been leaning against.

"I'll catch you later, Serena…"

"Don't worry about it, Barrett. You're no trouble," Dean told him. "We just wanted to say hi to Serena."

"I have a match coming up with Randy Orton. I need to stretch out."

"Oh. Good luck out there tonight," Serena offered. Wade flashed Serena a warm smile.

"Thanks, love. I'll catch ya around sometime." With that, Wade was gone. Serena sighed.

"Sorry to interrupt your conversation," Roman offered.

"It's all right. We were just talking about music." There was a beat between the four of them. Serena forced a smile on her face and tried to drown out the familiar approach of irritability. "It was great seeing you guys."

"If you don't have plans next year, you're coming home with one of us," Roman told her firmly. Dean and Seth nodded vehemently. "I think I speak for Dean and Seth when I say that we were all worried about you being home alone for the holidays."

"I'm sorry…" Serena felt the familiar feeling of guilt creeping up.

"We don't want you to feel guilty," Seth told her. She was surprised that he could sense such a thing. "We just want you to feel like you aren't alone. We're here if you need us. I'm not sure if you know that."

"I know it, and I appreciate it," Serena confessed. "Believe me, back here I appreciate it. I think the Divas hate me. They probably think I'm some kind of snob because I never go out with them."

"Don't worry about them," Dean replied. "The Divas are their own little clique anyway."

"What's up with you and Barrett?" Seth asked. "I really get the feeling we interrupted something important."

"Nothing, and no you didn't," Serena answered. "We seem to run into each other a lot these days. He seems nice enough." Her face darkened. "Why? Do you guys think I should stay away from him?"

"What? No. He's harmless enough," Roman assured her, much to her relief. Dean snorted.

"If you want to call an ex-bareknuckle fighter harmless," Dean retorted. Serena's eyes widened.

"That's legit?" she asked. The trio nodded. She asked Roman for the time. "I hate to cut this short, you guys, but I need to get back to Ferdinand." She turned to leave, but Seth reached out and grabbed her arm. She turned to him, cocking a perfectly arched eyebrow in curiosity.

"Did you want to come back to Dean's room at the end of the night with us? We're going to watch _Evil Dead._"

"What one?" Serena asked.

"The second one," Roman answered. She grinned.

"I'm in. That one rules so much…" They laughed. "I'll meet you at the hotel at the end of the night. You're in room four-nineteen, right, Dean?" she asked. Dean nodded. That's when she bid them farewell and disappeared down the hallway, back towards the trainer's room.

Serena found Chris Jericho sitting on one of the trainer's tables, trying to work out a knot in his shoulder. His face was a mask of pain. Dr. Rios was busy stretching out John Cena before his match against CM Punk in the main event. Serena approached Chris. "Hi, Serena," he managed.

"What happened? You're normally one of the healthier ones," she teased. Chris smirked, moving his hand so she could start working the knot out of his shoulder.

"I botched a landing," Chris confessed. "It was just one of those freak things, you know?"

"Not really, but I'll smile and nod like I do," Serena replied. Chris laughed and then groaned when she hit the sore spot. "That's it?" Chris nodded. "How were your holidays?"

"Good. Kids got everything they wanted, while the wife and I got splitting headaches." Serena laughed. "What about you, Serena? What did you do for Christmas?"

"Nothing really," she answered. "I drank a lot of hot chocolate and did some baking. Dean and the guys came out for a few days after Christmas. We exchanged presents."

"You're that close with the Shield, are you?"

"We're close," Serena said absently. The guys had bought her a charm bracelet, complete with charms. They had gone out of their way to pick strong charms, charms that symbolized strength and rebirth and everything Serena wished she could do with her life. Too afraid to wear it, in case she lost a charm, it was sitting in her jewelry box at home. "It was nice to have somebody around the house for the holidays?"

"What about your parents?"

"My dad died when I was five."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. You didn't know." She continued to work his shoulder before she strapped an ice pack to it. "When does Fozzy go back on tour?" Chris smiled. Serena learned from a few of the other guys backstage that Chris had his own rock band. Out of respect, Serena did her research. Although the music wasn't her cup of tea, she respected what he did, and she did find his last album pretty decent, even though she didn't listen to a lot of rock music.

"Next week. I'll miss a week or two of _Raw_."

"You're touring with Metallica, right?"

"I am," Chris confirmed.

"Is there anything you can't do?" Serena teased.

"Not sure yet," Chris laughed. "I'll get back to you." He slid off the table and gave her a hug. "Thanks, Serena. Say, if you aren't busy tonight, why don't you come out with me and the guys?"

"I would, but Dean and the guys got their hooks in first. We're watching _Dead By Dawn_ tonight."

"_Evil Dead_?"

"You know it is."

"Motherfucker," Chris murmured. He grinned. "Think you can get me an invite?"

"I'm sure I can swing it. But aren't you going out with the guys?"

"Fuck them." Serena laughed. Chris grabbed her shoulder and gave her a once-over. "Are you okay? You look a little off tonight. Do you want to talk about it?" She smiled.

"I'm all right, Chris. I promise." He shot her a look. "I promise you, I'm fine. I appreciate your concern."

"We're a family here, Serena. You're part of it."

"I know. I'm not used to having a lot of people so concerned…" Serena smiled. Just then, the door opened. It was Wade Barrett, looking to be stretched out before his match. Chris flashed Serena a grin and left.

"Are you busy, love?"

"No. Chris just left. Hop up on the table." She patted the surface with her hand. Wade was already dressed in his red trunks, kneepads and boots. He got onto the table. Serena put a hand on his chest, gently pushing him down so he lay on his back, facing up at the ceiling. "What are we working out first?"

"Legs, love."

"Works for me," Serena told him. They worked with the right one first. "I'm sorry if Dean and the guys drove you away earlier. They always feel bad when they pop up. They have this idea that it's hard for me to make friends when they're around."

"Is it true?"

"It's hard for me to make friends, period. I don't need the Shield to make it difficult," she said with a laugh. She pushed the leg back until Wade made a grimace of pain. "Sorry, but I need to hold it like this for at least five seconds."

"No worries," he managed. "What are you doing tonight?"

"Movie night with the Shield," Serena replied. She lowered his right leg and went to work on the left. "I think Chris Jericho wants in on it, too. I could always talk to the guys, if you're interested. Unless you don't like horror movies…"

"Well, Sheamus, Drew and I were going to head out for a few pints after the show. Maybe we can take a rain-check?" Serena nodded. He made another sound as she bent his leg even further back than the right, holding it for five seconds. "I hope you have fun, though."

"I'm sure I will. I know it's hard to believe, but Seth and Roman are just like big kids."

"And what about Dean, love?" Wade inquired.

"He's like me. He doesn't like to smile," she replied with a laugh. She continued working with his legs, stretching them in ways that almost seemed unnatural. "Except, between you and me, I think he's worse off in that department than I am." Wade roared with laughter. The door opened. It was Ryback. After finishing with John Cena, Dr. Rios took a look at Ryback's leg, which he had tweaked lifting up two of the 3MB members for his Shellshock finisher. Serena found herself becoming lost in her thoughts as she went through the motions. When it was over, Wade sat up and stretched again.

"Thanks, love," he told her.

"Good luck out there. I'm sure I said that earlier…"

"That's all right. I could use all the luck I can get," he told her with a grin.

"Well, I mean it. Have fun with your friends tonight."

"You, too, Serena," he told her. "I'll catch you around."


	5. Chapter 5

Serena put a few things on her late for dinner, even though she wasn't very hungry. For the past few days, her appetite had dwindled. She didn't want anybody to notice, so she picked at her meals whenever there were people around. Two days ago, she noticed her ribs were starting to become visible. It scared her, but she couldn't force herself to eat. There was a dark, sinking feeling coming over her as of late, and the more she tried to shake it off, the harder it returned.

She sighed, trying to ignore the buzzing that seemed to follow her everywhere she went. As the days passed, she was becoming more and more aware of the whispers and the stares, of what other people were saying about her when they thought she wasn't around to hear it. She looked down at her faded blue jeans and white turtleneck sweater. Alicia and Rosa were whispering about her. She could hear them; she was less than five feet away. When she looked up at them they quickly averted their eyes, giggling. They were sitting with Brie and Nikki Bella and Layla. Serena thought about talking to them, about mending fences and smoothing over any slight they may have thought she committed against them, but the truth was the Divas intimidated her. She was intimidated by their beauty, their tenacity and their normality.

She was pretty sure their giggling was all about her love of turtlenecks. Just feeling their gazes and hearing their laughter made her want to drop everything and leave, back to the confines of Dr. Rios' office. Her eyes scanned the room; she couldn't find Wade, Dean, Seth or Roman anywhere. The feeling of discomfort was becoming more and more visible.

"Serena! You must come forth and feast with us!"

Serena tried not to laugh at the familiar verbiage of Damien Sandow, who was dressed in his blue robe, sitting with Kofi Kingston, Cody Rhodes, Antonio Cesaro and Daniel Bryan. Serena felt a wave of relief that at least the guys were going out of their way to make her feel welcome, not like a figure to be ridiculed and pitied.

As Serena made her way to the back table, she didn't see Alicia stick her foot out. Serena tripped, falling and hitting the ground. Her dinner hit her sweater, staining the white fabric with butter and barbecue sauce. She made a small sound as she hit the ground and then clamped her mouth shut. She had the feeling Alicia did it on purpose, but she knew that she couldn't prove it. Several Superstars jumped to their feet as she went down.

"Oh, my, Serena, you really should learn how to be more careful," Alicia told her, a sickly sweet smile plastered on her face. Her dress was white, tight like a bandage, her red hair pulled back. Rosa wasn't as subtle.

"Walk much, Lords?" she taunted. Alicia, Nikki, Brie and Rosa laughed. Red-hot tears burned began to sting behind Serena's eyes, but she wouldn't give them the satisfaction of seeing her cry.

"You did that on purpose!" Chris Jericho accused angrily. Serena felt hands grab her around the crook of her elbow and pull her to her feet. Turning, she realized it was Damien and Cody. Damien looked concerned, while Cody looked downright agitated. Serena struggled to catch her breath, but she was _very _aware that everybody in the room was looking at her. It made her remember the trial, all the eyes on her, all the pity and the sympathy and the embarrassment. Alicia was sputtering, stammering and insistent that she hadn't done anything wrong, but other people had seen it.

"Are you all right, Serena?" Cody asked her. She nodded, but he noticed she was going pretty pale. Her tongue felt swollen. She couldn't speak. Damien noticed that she was shaking.

"It was an accident," Rosa told them angrily. She muttered a few words in Spanish.

"Bullshit to that – I saw Alicia put her foot out," CM Punk piped up. He was sitting at a table with Vickie Guerrero, Paul Heyman, Brock Lesnar, AJ and Dolph. AJ was watching Serena intently. Serena squeezed her eyes shut, but it wasn't getting any easier to breathe. The shaking was getting more and more violent. She wished she could evaporate. Everyone was staring at her, and she felt like she was making a scene. She tried to suck in a breath, but ended up just wheezing. Damien's grip on Serena's arm tightened.

"Cody, she's having an anxiety attack!"

"I'll go find a paper bag," Cody replied urgently. He handed her off to Drew McIntyre, who had just entered the room with Wade and Sheamus in tow. Drew grabbed her other arm.

"Inhale, Serena," Damien coaxed. She tried to listen, but she couldn't. "Breathe, Serena."

"We should get her out of here," Wade told Damien. They nodded. Cody returned with the bag. The more everyone stared at Serena, the more embarrassed she became. She felt like she was having a heart attack. The guys ushered her out of the catering area.

"Who has the closest locker room?" Drew inquired.

"I think that's us," Cody told them. His tone hadn't dwindled in urgency. He rushed ahead and opened the door and everybody crowded inside.

"She's whiter than I am, fellas!" Sheamus exclaimed. Serena's breathing hadn't steadied. She was beginning to feel faint. Wade turned to Sheamus, Drew and Cody.

"We should go get Dr. Rios, mates. I think we're losing her."

"I'm…" Serena managed, but she couldn't say anymore. She was trying to assure them that she was fine, but she knew she wasn't. The doors burst open and Roman, Seth and Dean were in the doorway. Dean rushed her, but Damien and Wade stopped him.

"We shouldn't crowd her," Wade told him. Dean was irate, but he nodded, stepping back and running a hand through his hair. Blackness was beginning to dance at the edge of her vision, but she was too short of breath to say anything. Breathing into the bag wasn't helping, though she appreciated their efforts.

She swayed. Everyone made sounds of surprise. "Maybe we should get Serena on the floor. In case she faints," Cody suggested. Damien was stroking his beard. It was obvious he had never been in the middle of such a situation. Nobody knew what they were doing, but they agreed it was probably best to lay her down than have her fall over. As Dean and Seth assisted her to her feet, the blackness took over and she buckled.

Dr. Rios burst in as they lay her down. "What happened?"

"Serena had a panic attack and fainted," Wade told him. He looked down at Serena, in her barbecue and butter-stained sweater. The only time she looked at peace was when she fell unconscious, he noted. It made him feel sorry for her, but he would never admit it to her.

There was a knock on the doorframe. Wade looked up and saw Layla with Naomi and AJ in tow. "Is she all right?" Layla asked. When they realized she was unconscious, AJ and Layla clasped their hands over their mouths.

"You tell Alicia and Rosa that if they don't back off Serena, they're going to have to deal with us," Dean threatened darkly. He was kneeling next to Serena, holding her limp hand. Damien was still tugging on his beard, pacing back and forth and muttering under his breath. Dr. Rios used some smelling salts to bring Serena around.

She groaned. "Easy, Serena," Dean coaxed, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. "Just lie still for a moment. You fainted." She nodded, letting her head rest back on the floor. The embarrassment of tripping, of having the panic attack and fainting came rushing back to her. She closed her eyes.

"Can we get a cold cloth or something for her head?" Drew suggested. Cody nodded and disappeared into the shower area. She worked at steadying her breathing, mortified that Dr. Rios had to use his medical expertise on her, his assistant.

"Are you taking your anxiety medication?" Dr. Rios asked her.

"It's not working…" Serena told him. "They make me drowsy…you wouldn't understand…" She clapped her hand over her face and groaned. Cody came back out with a cold cloth and Dean thanked him, laying the cool, damp fabric against her forehead. "Thank you, Cody," she told him.

"You scared me to death," Cody told her with a light chuckle. The room went up in agreement.

"I'm sorry, you guys…"

"It's all right, Serena. We worry about you," Seth told her.

"I can't believe I just had a panic attack in front of the whole locker room…"

"Don't think about that, love," Wade chided her gently. Dr. Rios stood.

"Take as long as you need to get yourself in order. Come back when you're good to go," Dr. Rios told her. Serena nodded and he left, leaving her with the handful of Superstars and the trio of Divas in the doorway. Serena slowly sat up. She saw the barbecue sauce stain on her sweater and sighed. Dean rubbed her back soothingly.

"So much for the turtleneck," Serena sighed. Damien reached into his bag and pulled out one of his T-shirts, a bright blue monstrosity with YOU'RE WELCOME emblazoned on the back. Serena looked at it and started laughing, laughing until she physically shook. Everyone exchanged glances.

"I know it is a ridiculous garment, but it is the best I can manage on such short notice," Damien told her. There was a twinkle in his eye and Serena knew right away it was his way of joking around with her. She flashed him a gracious smile.

"It's fine, Damien," Serena assured him. "It's just so…_bright_."

Wade helped Serena to her feet and she disappeared into the shower area to change. She was thankful her hair was long enough, down over her chest. It felt weird having her neck exposed. She looked at the wrecked turtleneck, knowing full well the barbecue sauce would never fully come out. Sighing in aggravation, she slammed the shirt in the trash and walked back into the room. Everybody was staring at her. The shirt hanged off her. "Thank you, Damien," she offered sweetly. She spotted AJ, Layla and Naomi in the doorway.

"Are you okay, Serena?" AJ asked. Her brown eyes were wide and brimming with worry. Serena nodded.

"You gave us all quite a fright," Layla told her. Serena didn't feel like being around the Divas.

"I'm sorry," Serena replied. Cody and Drew said something to the girls that Serena only half-heard, leading them back to the catering area. Serena sat down on a bench and rested her head back against the wall. Damien sat to her left, Dean to her right. "I feel like I should crawl into a hole somewhere and just never emerge."

"It's fine, Serena," Dean assured her. "Don't worry about the Divas, all right?"

"We need to go, fella," Sheamus said to Wade. He nodded.

"Are you going to be all right, love? I'd hate to leave you behind when you're not a hundred percent…"

"She's fine, Barrett," Roman told him. "We're with her." He looked to Serena, who nodded. His face flooded with relief and he bid her farewell, following Sheamus out the door. Damien left, explaining he had a match. He left with Cody. Serena was left in the room by herself with The Shield.

"You're not taking your medication," Dean accused. She never could lie to him.

"You wouldn't understand," Serena told him.

"Make us understand," Roman begged. Serena shook her head.

"I can't. Just know that I think I'm doing the right thing," Serena told them. She knew that they would try and convince her that she was being ridiculous for her reasons to not take her medication. They couldn't understand the fear she felt, the vivid nightmares that haunted her.

"Serena, it's supposed to keep you from _this_," Dean told her, distastefully grabbing the Damien Sandow T-shirt she wore. "Serena, we're worried about you, and we don't want to babysit you, but you need to take your medication."

"It makes me drowsy, all right? I don't want to walk around feeling like I'm going to fall asleep standing ninety percent of the time," she argued. "I'll be all right, okay? I'm working through it. I just still have issues."

Dean draped an arm around her shoulder. "I know, Serena. We just worry about you."

"I'll be all right. I'm just glad to have you guys around." She rested her head back against the wall. "I should get back to Dr. Rios. I swear - he has the patience of a saint." She stood. Her chest still felt a little heavy and her head a little light, but she wanted to get through the night. She just had to get through _SmackDown _the next night and then she could go home and hibernate for four days.

"He understands, Serena. We all do. Well, most of us," Dean told her. "Come on; we'll walk you back to the trainer's office." She nodded. Dean stood and offered her his arm. She took it, flashing him a soft smile as they left the Team Rhodes Scholars locker room.


	6. Chapter 6

He watched her pack up her supplies at the end of the night, leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest. She was dressed in a red sleeveless turtleneck with thick black bracelets around her wrists. Her skirt was short and denim, the look capped off with calf-high flat boots that zipped up along the inside. Her hair was down as usual. He watched her in silence for what felt like forever. Then her body straightened. She sighed. "I really need to get a bell for you, Wade," she teased with a soft laugh. It was a welcome change for Wade, who expected her to have a panic attack. It had been a long, strange night for Serena; Stephanie McMahon had caught wind of the episode the night before and sought Serena out during her dinner break. Serena took it in the back of the arena, eating alone to avoid the resenting glare of Rosa and Alicia and the looks of sympathy from the others. She wasn't in trouble with management or anything; they understood she was going through some heavy stuff. But everyone was concerned that she had passed out. Serena wished she could hide underground for the rest of her life.

"You didn't even turn around. How did you know it was me?" he asked.

"Because you seem to stick to me like a second shadow these days," she told him. She turned to face him, smiling. He was dressed in a Barrett Barrage T-shirt underneath a grey hoodie that was zipped up to his sternum and blue jeans. She thought he looked good. She leaned against the trainer's table and crossed her arms over her chest. "What can I do for you?"

"I didn't see you around catering tonight, so I thought I'd see if you were still here, see how you were doing…" he trailed off. She was surprised that anyone missed her presence in the catering room.

"I'm all right. Still really embarrassed about last night," she confessed. There was an awkward beat between the two of them. "I didn't mean to scare anybody last night, Wade. I'm really sorry. Poor Damien; I thought he was going to faint…"

"Don't worry yourself about it, love – we all understand," Wade told her. She smiled. He walked into the room, moving past her to pick up her bag. It had become something of a ritual over the past couple weeks; Wade stopping in to visit her in the trainer's room and carrying her bag to her car. "Are you staying in town tonight or have you already booked a red-eye flight back to Jersey?"

"I'm actually staying in town tonight," she answered. "I'm staying at this cute little hotel at the edge of the city. It's got a nice little café I wouldn't mind trying out for breakfast in the morning." Wade blinked.

"The one that's almost right off the interstate?"

"That would be the one."

"You're kidding me. I'm staying there, too."

"What are the odds?" Serena said with a laugh.

"The reason I was asking about what you're doing is because some of us are getting together to play video games at the hotel tonight. Sheamus and Kofi are setting it up. I wanted to know if you wanted to come out and join us. Have a little fun, you know?"

"Who else is going to be there?" she asked.

"Not Rosa and Alicia, I promise you," Wade told her with a grin. She smiled. "It'll be a couple of the old Nexus guys, probably Punk and AJ. Drew. Those guys will probably invite others, too, but that's the core group so far." He could see her hesitating. "Come on. Say yes. You know you want to join us."

"I don't know, Wade. I don't really play video games…I wouldn't be any good…"

"I don't play much either, Serena. We can be terrible together." There was a pause between them as they walked towards the parking lot. Wade wasn't about to drop the issue. He stopped her. "I'm not inviting you out of pity, Serena. I would really, really like it if you would join me."

"All right," she agreed. Wade beamed. "I'll follow your car."

"How is life out in Jersey?"

"Quiet. That's the way I like it," she confessed. "I've thought about getting a big dog or something, but I'm on the road all the time with you guys. It just wouldn't work."

"You don't have any flat-mates?"

"No, it's just me, myself and I," she told him. "It's scary sometimes, but I've rigged it up with top-notch security. Alarms, motion-sensitive lights, the works…it sounds ridiculous, doesn't it?"

"Not at all, Serena," he assured her. "You can never be too careful these days." He knew that she knew that all too well. They fell silent as he opened the door for her. She thanked him and walked through it.

"Do you ever go back to Staten Island?" he asked. She shook her head. "Would you ever?"

"Not if I had my way," she confessed. "But I know in the next few years there's going to be parole hearings that I just have to go to." Wade blinked. It was the first time she'd referenced what happened to her with him.

"If you need anybody to go with you when the time comes, love…" She smiled sadly.

"I appreciate that. Dean, Seth and Roman have offered, too. I'd feel safer standing in the same room with you guys, to be honest. But it's still years from now, and who knows where we're all going to be by then? Until then, though, I just can't go back there; too many bad memories." She opened her trunk and Wade put the bag inside. She shut it. She unlocked the door and got into her car. Wade closed it behind her.

He went to his car, wondering if she had said anything to Dean, Seth or Roman about what she was thinking or about anything she had experienced or was experiencing. The idea of attending parole hearings was overwhelming to her. Wade knew that she was always going to be afraid of him being released, even though a convicted murderer of eight with no remorse had very little chance of being granted parole. It wasn't lost on him that she didn't bring up her family in Staten Island. He slipped into his car and pulled out of the parking lot first. He checked out the rear-view mirror, smiling when he saw her car following him, even though she knew her own way back to the hotel. He thought it was cute.

Wade knew he liked Serena. He wished he had a chance to get to know her better. He wished he got to know what kind of music she listened to, what kind of movies she watched and what kind of books she read. He supposed he felt a little bit of sympathy for her, but he mostly admired her for her will to survive. The night before, while Sheamus was passed out, Wade logged onto his laptop and read what he could about the Staten Island Slasher. He knew that she had lost her boyfriend during the ordeal; that she was meant to die before he was. It had taken them seventy-two hours to find her. When they had gotten there, she was close to death. She underwent multiple surgeries and blood transfusions. She had a long, tough recovery period. By the time she was ready to graduate college months later, it was time for the trial, where America came to know her, millions of people watching her sob, weep and have anxiety attacks on the witness stand. It took the jury less than four hours to find him guilty; the evidence was overwhelming, thanks to Serena's survival. The attorneys had tried to argue insanity, but hadn't gotten it.

He pulled into the parking lot at his hotel. He leaned against his car and waited for Serena to park and join him. She got out of the car and smiled at him, approaching quickly. He wondered what she was like before it happened. Even through her trauma, Wade could see a spark of life that radiated from her. She was too tough to die, meant to live. Whether she knew it or not, she was a tough woman.

"You ready?" he asked. She nodded, following him down the walkway to his hotel room. She noticed that she was about six doors down from Wade. It was a ground-level hotel, modeled like the Bates Motel in _Psycho_. She shuddered as she thought about that. He opened the door. It was just the two of them in the room; Sheamus had yet to return. "The others should be along momentarily. Can I get you a drink? I've got some pop and some beer."

"I think a pop sounds good." She sat down at the foot of the bed, feeling awkward and uncomfortable in her own skin. Wade went to the fridge and got her a can of Pepsi and himself a bottle of beer. He handed her the can and went about opening the beer bottle with a bottle opener on his keychain. "I assume you keep these around for Punk," she said, holding up the can. He smirked.

"You assume correctly. I don't drink much of that rubbish. It's bad for you," he said with a shrug. He walked over to the bed and sat down beside her. She was very aware of how close he was. They sighed, looking everywhere but at each other. Serena wanted to laugh at how uncomfortable they both were.

"I'm sorry. I really am terrible company…"

"Nah, you're fine. I wish I knew more about you so I could keep up a decent conversation," he laughed.

"I'm not that interesting," Serena assured him. She opened the can and took a sip. "I used to be that really annoying college girl who wore all pink and went nightclubbing all the time with her girlfriends. I used to have a revolving door of dates, keeping up with current trends because I wanted people to like me. I actually used to be pretty vapid and shallow, to be honest."

"I don't see that."

"I was, though," she answered. "I mean, it's not like I stepped out of the movie _Mean Girls _or anything, but my priorities were my having fun and schooling. In that order." She sipped her soda. "But when you hit rough waters, it makes you re-evaluate things. At least that's what I did."

Wade was about to ask her about her turtlenecks, what they were hiding, but there was a knock on the door. His shoulders curved, but he got up and answered the door to find Drew standing with Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel. Drew and Heath were dressed in snug jeans and baggy graphic T-shirts. Drew had his hair back with the bandana still, the big sunglasses covering his face. Justin looked comfortable and casual, his hair swept over his face.

"No way!" Drew exclaimed incredulously. "You actually got Serena to come over for this?"

"Hi, Serena," Justin greeted with a small wave. "It's nice to see you."

"You as well, Justin," Serena answered.

"You had us all worried last night," Drew informed her. She stood, slapping hands and hugging him. "I'm glad to see that you're feeling better."

"I appreciate that. I'm fine. Just really embarrassed," she offered with a laugh. Drew shook his head.

"You don't need to apologize for anything. Fuck anyone who doesn't understand." He went to the fridge and got himself and Heath a beer. Justin helped himself to a Pepsi. Wade sat back down beside Serena. Drew shot him a look. Wade shot him a look that told him not to say a word. Drew shrugged and walked further into the room. Serena was too busy feeling uncomfortable to notice the small exchange between friends. Serena couldn't remember the last time she went out and had fun. Seth, Dean and Roman were always trying, but she always had an excuse. She felt like a burden to most of the people around her, a basket-case always on the edge of a nervous breakdown.

"What are we playing tonight?" Heath asked. Drew knelt down in front of the Xbox and started rifling through the games. Wade shot a look at Serena, and she offered him a small smile.

"We got some WWE games, a couple of snowboarding games, DOA…" Drew informed them. The door opened and Sheamus walked in, flanked by Kofi Kingston, Ryback and Randy Orton. Serena noticed that they had been to the liquor store, Ryback and Randy holding bags in their hands. Wade instantly tensed at the sight of Randy. She remembered they disliked each other, but he was friends with Sheamus.

"By the way," Heath piped up. "Drew and I invited Jinder along. He was just stuck talking to Michael Hayes and you know how that guy just goes on and on…" Everybody in the room nodded. "He'll be along when he manages to make it out of the arena."

"The more, the merrier," Wade replied. Ryback and Randy were in the kitchenette area, putting the bags in the fridge. Randy approached. He was dressed in an old Pantera T-shirt and black basketball shorts.

"Hello, Serena," he greeted. "How are you doing?"

"I'm doing all right," she answered. "What about you?"

"I can't complain." There was a knock on the door. Sheamus got it. It was AJ, CM Punk and Daniel Bryan.

"I brought an extra body," Punk announced, shoving Daniel into the room. Everyone shrugged.

"Oh, my God," AJ exclaimed. "Hello, Serena!" She waved frantically. "I didn't know you were going to be here!"

"I was a last minute addition, too," she confessed sheepishly, shooting a sympathetic look at Daniel. AJ jumped up and down like a kid high on sugar, clapping her hands. She was dressed in tight black jeans with skulls on the back and a cut-up Dolph Ziggler T-shirt. Her long brown hair was down around her face. She was still in the same outfit she wore on _SmackDown _earlier in the night.

"It's good to see you. I was worried about you last night," AJ told her. She grabbed Serena's hand and dragged her over to the TV. Serena shot a fleeting look at Wade, and he nodded. She allowed AJ to lead her to the Xbox.

"We should play some DOA," AJ told her cheerfully. "Have you ever played it?"

"No, I can't say I have."

"I call Hitomi!" AJ called out. Serena looked over at Wade and Drew, confused, but shrugged and decided to go along with AJ. She picked up the controller and let AJ give her a quick tutorial on the buttons.

"You're going to knock me out," Serena said with a laugh. She picked Tina, the pro wrestler. "Just make it quick and painful."

"Can do," AJ teased with a laugh. She kept her promise, though Serena put up a good fight, taking AJ into the second round. When it was over, she handed the controller to Kofi. She rested her head back against the bed and looked at the time. It was after one. She thought about calling it a night at around three. That way she could sleep, wake up and get to the airport. After a couple rounds, the WWE game went in, where multiple people could play at the same time. But Serena just sat and watched. Eventually she made it onto Wade's bed and sat back, thinking about how cool it must have been for the people involved to have their own characters in a video game. Jinder showed up, complaining that Michael Hayes talked too much, prompting a lot of jokes to fly. Wade joined Serena, sitting down beside her on the bed.

"Are you enjoying yourself, love?" he asked. She nodded.

"It's been awhile since I've done something with people," she confessed.

"Can I get you another Pepsi or a beer?"

"Another Pepsi would be nice. Thanks, Wade."

He got off the bed and got her another Pepsi, and himself another beer. Everyone was yelling at each other, a few people standing, the way people do when they're engulfed in what they're doing. Serena laughed. "I've never been much of a video gamer."

"Me neither," Wade confessed. "Sheamus, Kofi and the guys love it, though."

"When is your flight tomorrow?"

"Three-forty-five," he answered. "What about yours?"

"Three o'clock. On the button," she answered.

"Well, why don't we go to brunch in the morning at the café? Before you have to go to the airport?"

"I think that actually sounds like a good idea," she told him. "Make it for eleven?"

"Eleven sounds great," he said with a smile.

"You are such a dick, Phil!" Randy shouted. Serena and Wade laughed at the outburst. It was obvious Randy had lost his match.


	7. Chapter 7

"You look awfully chipper this morning," Dean observed. Seth was sitting on the edge of Serena's bed, dressed in a black T-shirt and faded blue jeans, his black and blond hair pulled away from his face in a low ponytail. Roman was sitting beside Seth, dressed in a white muscle shirt and black slacks, his hair down around his face. He was absently flipping through channels. Dean was leaning against the doorframe of the bathroom, watching Serena get ready for her morning, He was dressed casual in a burgundy zip-up hoodie and blue jeans. His eyes were fixed intently on Serena, who was brushing her hair. The contents of her makeup bag were scattered along the beige countertop of her bathroom. She wore a black turtleneck sleeveless dress, belted at the waist with a rhinestone belt.

"I had a really good night last night," Serena told him, beaming. "It's too bad you guys didn't come out."

"I'm glad you had fun," Dean told her with a smile. As she brushed her hair, he noticed a small red splotch behind her earlobe. He was pretty sure it was a scar, but it was early in the morning and she was in a good mood. He didn't want to push the issue with her and ruin her day. He watched as she grabbed the foundation off the counter and began to apply it to her face. He didn't think she needed makeup. "So you're meeting Wade for breakfast." It wasn't a question, but just a general statement. Serena nodded, rubbing her cheeks to even out the foundation.

"Brunch, but yeah, I'm supposed to meet him at eleven."

"Are you two dating or something…?" he asked lamely. Serena stopped what she was doing.

"No," she answered. "We're friends."

"I see." She shot him a look. Dean always looked so sullen, even when he smiled. She reached over and brushed a stray strand of hair out of his face. It fell right back into place. The sudden, sweet movement caught Dean off guard. She went back to her makeup, picking up the liquid eyeliner and applying it. Serena wondered if Dean felt like he was being pushed to the side. She applied a clear coat of lip gloss to her lips and packed up the bag. She slid past Dean and into the room. The clock on the nightstand said it was ten twenty-eight.

"I need to get going," Seth told them. "I have to be at the airport in fifteen minutes."

"Have a safe flight, Seth. Text me when you get home," Serena told him. It was a ritual between the four of them. They always texted each other to let the others know they made it home safely. It put Serena's mind at ease to know everyone was safe. She hugged him. He hugged her back, giving her a tight squeeze.

"I have to go, too," Roman said, turning off the TV. "I want to pick up a coffee before my flight"

"I'll see you Monday, Roman," she told him, hugging him. He gave her an extra tight squeeze. They left. She turned to Dean. "What time does your flight leave today?"

"Two-forty five," Dean responded. He leaned against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest. Serena sat down on one of the beds. There was an awkward beat between the two of them. Dean cleared his throat. "I was thinking about coming out to see you in the next day or so, if that's all right."

"You know you guys are welcome at my house anytime," she told him with a smile.

"It would just be me."

"You know you're always welcome at my house. My home is your home," she told him with a smile. Dean sat down on the other bed. "To be honest, it would be good to have the company."

"So what's going on between you and Wade Barrett?" Dean asked.

"We're just friends, Dean. Are you jealous or something?" she teased.

"What? No!" He shook his head vehemently. "You should get going, though. You're going to be late for your date." Serena rolled her eyes and threw a mint green throw pillow at Dean. He caught it.

"It's not a date. Oh, my God," Serena laughed. "It's friends meeting up for a bite!"

"Are you dating someone?" Dean asked. Serena shook her head.

"No. I don't think I can right now," she confessed. She cocked an eyebrow. "What's with all these questions this morning?"

"Just been thinking," Dean informed her. She laughed.

"You're always thinking," she teased.

"More than usual, I guess," he told her.

"I'll tell you what," she said, looking at the clock. She had to leave pretty quick, check out and then go to the café. "When you come over in the next day or two, I'll make a nice big dinner and we'll veg and you can tell me what you're thinking. Does that sound okay?"

He smiled. "I think that sounds fantastic."

Serena got off the bed and slid on her shoes. Dean grabbed her bags for her. "You don't have to do that…" she started, but he cut her off, telling her that it was fine. She gave him a hug. He hugged her tightly with his free arm. She held the door open for him and followed him to her rental car. She opened the trunk and he dropped the bag inside for her.

"For a woman, you sure do pack light," he teased.

"Maybe you're just really strong," she replied. He hugged her again. She was caught off guard by the sudden movement, but she laughed, hugging him back. "I'll see you when you get to the house."

"I'll see you then, Serena. Have a safe flight."

"You, too," she offered. He went back to his hotel room while Serena checked out at the front desk. With ten minutes to spare, she was back in her car and driving to the café. It was a little rundown building, but it had charm.

Serena was surprised to find Wade was already there, sitting at the back booth, sticking out head and shoulders above everybody. He was dressed in a grey hoodie and blue jeans. Their eyes connected and he smiled, waving her over. He stood and hugged her as she approached. He noticed she stiffened in his arms.

"Good morning, love," he offered gently.

"Does anything look good around here?" she asked him, sliding into the booth across from him. She picked up the menu. A waitress approached. She was short and stout, with blond ringlets and heavily made up eyes in the colors of pink and blue. She was eyeing Wade in a way that made Serena feel dirty. Serena ordered and orange juice while she topped up Wade's coffee. She walked away, turning back to wink and smile at Wade.

"Oh, my God," Serena said quietly, laughing.

"I feel a little dirty after that exchange," Wade said with a laugh. Serena felt herself turning red. "Did you have fun last night?"

"I did," she told him. "Thanks for inviting me out."

There was an awkward silence between the two of them as the waitress returned with her orange juice. She disappeared, not before getting another look at Wade. "I think she wants to hook up with you," Serena said. Wade made a noise and Serena covered her mouth to keep from laughing.

"What are you up to on your days off?" Wade asked. Serena opened the menu and started scanning through the breakfast options. Her eyes darted up when Wade asked her.

"Dean's coming out. I don't know how long he intends on staying, but it'll be nice to have him around. I still have a hard time by myself sometimes."

"Is it just Dean?"

"Yeah, he said it's just going to be him."

"That should be fun."

"What about you?"

"Just going to relax before I have to get back on the road," Wade answered. "Just do the usual. I might go shopping for some new music or a new book, but otherwise, it's just going to be a quiet week at home."

"Quiet is always nice. That's why I left New York," she answered with a laugh. "The city that never sleeps, you know?" Wade knew there was more to her leaving, but he admired the way she was always trying to make herself seem normal, despite the abnormalities in her past. The waitress returned and they ordered. Wade wasn't surprised that she didn't order much. He noticed that she wasn't really eating lately. He opened his mouth to bring it up, but clamped it shut, realizing the words weren't going to come out in the right way. He didn't want to seem like her father.

They were both at a loss for conversation. Serena didn't know him well enough to come right out and confide in him and Wade was afraid to push. The waitress returned with their breakfast and topped up Wade's coffee again. "How many cups of coffee have you had this morning?" Serena asked.

"Too many, love," he answered. "I'm going to be bouncing around on the plane."

"Do you have any plans on returning to the UK?"

"The next time WWE does a tour. Besides that, I'll probably move back there when I retire." He smiled, shovelling a forkful of pancake into his mouth. "That's years yet, though."

"I've never been. I guess that's the good thing about working for WWE, huh? I never really traveled growing up…" Wade smiled. There was still a child-like innocence about her that he admired. "I've always wanted to go to Japan. It looks so amazing. I've only ever been to Canada, and that was after I got hired here."

"I think the traveling is one of the most grueling, but one of the coolest parts about being here," Wade told her. "I've been everywhere. Maybe the next time WWE goes to Manchester, I'll give you a tour of the area."

"I think that sounds like a great idea," she said with a smile. He noticed she was picking at her toast. "I'm sorry. I've really been trying to eat lately, but I'm having just the worst time."

"I've noticed."

"I'm sorry. It happens, I guess. I don't know," she confessed sheepishly. Wade reached over and put his hand over hers. It was a simple gesture, a sweet gesture. He offered her a comforting smile.

"If you need an ear, love, you know I'm around."

"I do. Thank you," she said. He removed his hand from hers and they went back to talking about the places Wade had been.


	8. Chapter 8

**_Author's Note: I usually hate doing these, but I really feel the need to comment. My email has been flooded with all sorts of alerts for reviews, new followers and author alerts. I really just want to thank everybody for the time they've taken to review this story and let you know that I love each and every one of you for taking the time to read my work. Since this and the fans hijacking Raw last night (God help me, I've been humming Fandango's theme all day long) have me in such a good mood today, I thought I would give you guys a bonus chapter. Peace, love and happiness, guys! Hope you're all having a good week. _**

* * *

_"I wanna swim away, but don't know how. Sometimes it feels just like I'm falling in the ocean…"_

Serena looked out her kitchen window and watched the heavy rain practically flood her backyard. The sky was a deep grey, the clouds pitch black and threatening to spit thunder. It was a lousy day, the kind of day that called for people to stay indoors with a blanket, hot chocolate and a good movie. After she got off the plane the day before, she had gone directly to the grocery store to stock up for the next few days. When she saw the weather channel announcing the rain, she was thankful that she had already gone out and gotten what she needed. Now she looked out at her backyard and thought about Dean, hoping his flight had gotten in all right and that he was going to arrive at her home safe and sound. She couldn't see two feet in front of her, so she knew the drive for Dean was going to be perilous. The weather channel said the weather had no sign of letting up for the day, but Serena hoped they were wrong as usual.

She hummed along to the Blue October in her stereo. She was exhausted. Her entire night was plagued with the same nightmares that had been dogging her since the hospital. Combined with the jetlag, she felt like she was a zombie. At five o'clock, after waking up in a thin sheen of sweat, she decided to just get out of bed and start her day. It was ten-thirty, and she had already cleaned her entire house and baked and decorated a cake for dessert. Serena had painstakingly decorated the cake and she was satisfied with the result. It looked like something that belonged in a bakery window.

Serena was dressed weather appropriate, in a sky blue wool turtleneck and blue jeans. She wore no makeup, knowing that it was just Dean coming over, and she didn't need to go out of her way to impress him. He seemed to like her for the way she was. She appreciated the fact that she could just be herself around him, that she could be weak if the mood struck her. Serena also appreciated Wade's efforts, considering he barely knew her.

Outside, the sky began to rumble. Serena was filling up her crockpot with water. She had already put the giant roast she bought at the grocery store inside. Serena loved her crockpot. In the afternoon, she would just have to add potatoes and carrots and everything would be ready by dinnertime. It was a lazy day; Serena had already decided the cake was the most difficult thing she was going to do.

On the granite countertop, her cell phone went off, the familiar Counting Crows ringtone faint in her ears. The phone moved across the countertop, towards Serena, propelled by the vibrations. She put the measuring cup of water down and closed the lid on the crockpot before she picked up the phone. She smiled. It was Wade. _Good morning, Serena. Is Dean there yet?_

_ Not yet. I hope he's okay. It's raining pretty hard here today. Can't see two feet out my window_, she replied before setting her phone down on the counter. She went and got herself a glass of orange juice and sat down at the island counter, just watching the rain fall. The sky rumbled again and she knew that in a matter of minutes or hours there would be lightning. She was bored. Lately Serena had been thinking about getting a cat or a dog, but she knew it wasn't feasible with all the traveling she did. Her phone vibrated again.

_I'm sure he's fine. I still need to get out there and see the sights. _She smiled and tried to fight that niggling worry in her stomach that Dean was in trouble. She texted back at Wade that he should come out when New Jersey wasn't drowning in rain and set the phone back down on the counter. She sent a text to Dean, begging him to be safe on the road. As the minutes ticked away, the lack of a response began to worry her. It was rare he went five minutes without texting her back. He never left her hanging.

Her phone went off again. She grabbed it quickly, her shoulder slumping when she saw it was Wade and not Dean texting her back. _I guess I won't tell you that it's beautiful here._ She laughed and texted him back. There was a knock on the door. She jumped. A familiar lump formed in her throat, but she shook it off quickly, leaving her phone on the counter to answer the door in the living room. She peered through the peephole and quickly unlatched the door, swinging it open. Dean stood on the other side, drenched from the rain, holding a backpack. "I texted you like ten minutes ago. I was starting to worry," Serena told him, launching herself into his arms. After being momentarily taken aback, he hugged her back.

"I'm sorry, Serena. I would have texted back, but I was driving."

"That's all right. I've been worried about you driving in the rain," she told him, aware that his arms were still around her waist. She pulled back and stepped to the side, letting him into her home. She closed and locked the door behind him. "It's not supposed to let up today. It's been a long time since I've seen it rain like this."

"The drive was insane," Dean told her, shrugging out of his jacket. Serena hung it up in the closet and rushed to get him a towel to dry off. "I couldn't see two feet in front of me on the road. I saw a couple accidents along the way into town. I just took it slow and that seemed to do the trick, but the idiots sure are out in full force. Some moron passed me on the fucking shoulder because he thought I was going too slow!" Serena came down the stairs with a towel and handed it to him. "Thanks."

"I'm just glad you made it. I've been worrying about you all morning."

"I know you have, Serena," he said. He dried his hair. "God, it's good to be off the road."

"I can imagine. Do you want a coffee? I can put on a fresh pot."

"That would be great." Dean kicked off his shoes and followed Serena into the kitchen. He spotted the crockpot on the counter. "What are you making?" he asked, going towards it and lifting the lid.

"A roast," Serena answered. She had her back to Dean, adding the coffee grounds to the filter. "I have to confess that all my energy went to baking a cake this morning, so I got kind of lazy for dinner." Dean laughed.

"My mom loves her crockpot. Do I get to see this cake?" Serena cocked her head in the direction of the cake platter and moved past Dean to fill up the coffee pot with water. Dean pulled up the lid and whistled low. "Wow."

"You're too nice," Serena laughed, filling up the coffeemaker with water. She flipped the switch. Dean sat down at the island counter and noticed a blinking red light on her cell phone.

"I think you have a message."

"Oh, yeah, it's just Wade. He's been rubbing it in that Florida is beautiful today," Serena laughed.

"If there was something going on between you two, you'd tell me, right?" Dean asked. Serena cocked an eyebrow. She considered herself oblivious about most things, but it wasn't lost on her that Dean had been asking a lot of questions about Wade Barrett lately. A look flashed in Dean's eyes. "Is there something going on between you two?"

"No, _Dad_, there's not," Serena teased. "I don't know if I'm in the right space to date right now, but if something were to happen in my love life, you'll be the first to know." She picked up her phone and texted him back. "Are you seeing anyone these days, Dean? It's only fair I start picking on you."

"No, I'm not seeing anyone, _Mother_," Dean teased. Serena giggled. "I'm far too busy for all of that dating shit right now." Serena knew that he had his pick of women, though, and she knew the line started to the left. He had legions of fan-girls stemming from his independent days, plus whatever new fans he accumulated since arriving in WWE.

"Everybody missed you at the video game night," Serena told him. Dean snorted. Serena knew there was a strange dynamic backstage between Seth, Roman, Dean and the rest of the locker room. The general consensus was that it had to do with Dean's old-school way of thinking, with the way he kept himself isolated from everybody else. It rubbed people the wrong way, but all the old-timers understood what he was doing. "I missed you guys." There was a beat between them. She sighed. "What do you take in your coffee?"

"I take it black," Dean told her. She poured him a cup and handed it to him. "Thanks."

She sat down beside him at the island and the two of them stared out the window. The sky rumbled again and the kitchen seemed to get a little dimmer. "How many turtlenecks do you even own?" Dean asked.

"Too many," Serena laughed.

"Don't you ever get hot in those things?"

"I have ones that aren't wool," Serena pointed out. Her phone vibrated again. It was Wade. _I'll let you go. Have fun with Dean. I will see you Monday. _She smiled and sent him a quick goodbye and put the phone down.

"He's awfully talkative with you," Dean observed, sipping his coffee.

"He probably just feels sorry for me," Serena replied. Dean blinked.

"You shouldn't think like that, Serena."

"It's hard sometimes," she confessed, shaking her head. "It's done now, I know, but I wish the judge never allowed cameras in that courtroom. I could have gone the rest of my life without people knowing my face." There was an awkward silence between the two of them.

"I'm sorry, Serena. I wish I knew what to say," Dean confessed.

"Don't be sorry, Dean. It's fine, really. It's just that sometimes I need to get the thoughts out," she replied. "I should be apologizing for making you uncomfortable."

"Don't worry about it, Serena. I know you need to talk sometimes. I just wish I knew the right things to say."

"Sometimes I don't need to hear anything. I just need an ear."

"Well, I can give you that," he said with a smirk. "Is it really so hard to believe that people want to get to know you because you're awesome?"

"A little," she admitted sheepishly. There was another beat between them. "AJ seems like a real doll."

"Yeah, she is. She's hilarious."

"Do you talk to her a lot?"

"I do," he admitted. "She's one of those types that will make you talk to her."

"I got that impression the other night."

"It's nice to see you're making friends, Serena. You deserve to be happy."

Serena felt the familiar feeling of tears welling up behind her eyes. "Thanks," she managed. Dean draped an arm around her shoulder and their heads rested together. On the counter, her cell phone vibrated again.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Author's Note: Thanks to everyone for all of their sweet reviews and for taking the time to read this. I'm in such a good mood today that I thought I'd give you guys a third shot. I'll try to update again tomorrow if I don't get called into work. **_

* * *

Serena sat in an empty skybox and rested her head against the wall. Her sobs were heavy, choking her and making her cough. Her eyeliner and mascara was running, but she didn't care. She wept openly, holding herself, her body rocking. She looked down at her ripped and tattered red turtleneck that exposed patches of her green bra and part of the scar across her stomach. There were scratches on her wrist from where Alicia and Rosa had shoved her around. She rubbed the red marks on her wrist and continued to cry.

They had caught up with her after dinner. Rosa had a plastic knife and they were acting out a scene from a horror movie. It had bothered Serena, but she tried to ignore it and go back to Dr. Rios' office. Alicia and Brie Bella had been screaming, their screams so bloodcurdling that it took Serena back to the darkest days of her life. She continued to walk but they had stopped her. Rosa started poking her with the knife. Serena refused to cry in front of them. She promised herself she would never give them the satisfaction of seeing her crumble, the way that she had when Alicia had tripped her in the cafeteria.

Nikki Bella pushed her. She tried to leave, but they grabbed her. She felt her turtleneck stretching and tearing as they pulled her in all different directions. Rosa continued to pantomime stabbing Serena with the prop knife, leading the three of them to sing the _Psycho _theme at the top of their lungs. Frustrated, Serena flailed and hit Alicia in the face. The girls made a sound and let her go, and Serena half-ran, half-scrambled away, desperate to put as much space between herself and her bullies as humanly possible. Their voices taunted her as she ran, calling her a baby and a pussy. Serena burst through the doors that led to the main area of the arena. From there, afraid they were following her she went up the stairs, running until she found the first empty room. Once the door was closed, she collapsed to the floor and began to cry.

She wanted to quit. Serena wanted to run and spend the rest of her life in hiding. The more she tried to stop the tears from flowing, the more they came out. She put her hand on her head and tried to steady her breathing. Serena couldn't understand how people could be so cruel to one another. She wasn't looking for sympathy; she didn't want it. But she didn't want to be an object of ridicule and mockery, either.

Serena tried to steady her breathing. She hardly even knew the four girls involved; she didn't think they had any reason for them to hate her, as she had no reason to dislike them. She slammed her fist on the ground and sighed. She was angry. She wanted to fight. Serena felt like a victim, something she vowed to herself she would never feel again. The feeling of helplessness that weighed down her soul was familiar. She hated it.

"Serena!"

She stopped. Her chest heaved and she felt nauseous. It was a male voice, definitely not the bullies. She didn't have the energy to answer, but she crossed her arms over her chest to hide what she could when the door opened. People were looking for her. If she weren't so depressed, she would have been touched by the gesture. She took a deep breath and looked up at the ceiling, allowing herself to think the dark thoughts she fought day in and day out.

The door swung open. It was Wade and AJ. "Sweet Jesus," Wade murmured.

"Oh, my God," AJ cupped a hand over her mouth and rushed to Serena. She wanted to touch Serena, to give her a hug, but she was afraid to, her hands just motioning and retracting as if she were going to do something. She ran her hand through her long brown hair. "Oh, my God, Serena, I'm so sorry."

"Dean and Roman found me. They told me everything. Dean found Rosa and Alicia laughing about it in the hallway with the Bella twins," Wade told her. AJ nodded. "Good God, Serena."

She opened her mouth to speak, but just began to cry. Out of instinct, Wade pulled her into his arms and hugged her. AJ hugged her as well. The three of them were huddled on the ground as Serena wept. AJ looked up at Wade, shaking her head in disgust at the other girls. Wade nodded.

"Everyone's looking for you, love. Everyone's worried about you," Wade told her softly. He stroked her hair soothingly. "Damien, Cody, Dean, Roman, Seth, Randy, Kofi." She sniffled. "I'm so sorry about those birds, love. You don't deserve this."

"I'm going to get her a new shirt," AJ told him softly. "I'll let everyone know she's been found." Wade nodded. She got up and left, not before shooting a sad smile at Serena, who was still cradled in Wade's arms, crying. "Dr. Rios says take as much time as you need, Serena. Stephanie and Vince are dealing with the girls." Serena didn't look up, just keeping her head buried in Wade's chest. AJ left.

She pulled back and rested back against the wall. Wade sat down beside her and just watched her. She rubbed her eyes, staining her skin black with liner and mascara, but she didn't care. She just stared out at the empty stands. Wade didn't say anything and he didn't plan to until she talked first. He looked down at his hands.

"Why do they hate me?" she asked. "What did I do?"

"You didn't do anything, love," he assured her.

AJ returned, with Damien, Cody, Dean, Seth and Roman in tow. Dean was on Serena in seconds, touching her hair, touching her face, looking her over for bruises or marks. "Serena, you scared the shit out of me," Dean told her. "I could…" He wanted to say he could kill them, but he knew better. He clamped his mouth shut. "I despise them so much for doing this to you, Serena."

She looked up at Dean and offered him a broken smile. AJ handed her the spare T-shirt. "I made sure it's a turtleneck," AJ offered. Serena couldn't help it; she started laughing. AJ flashed Serena a grin and started laughing as well.

"Thank you, AJ. I think I needed that."

"I think you did, too," she told her. She went over to Dean and sat down beside him, in front of Serena. "Are you going to be okay?" Serena nodded.

"I've survived worse than this, haven't I?" she told AJ. She nodded sympathetically.

"I have an idea – why don't you come back to the hotel with me after the show tonight and we'll have a girl's night. Kaitlyn is coming, too. I don't think you've met her yet." Serena shook her head. "She's fantastic. Come on. What do you say? You could probably use a night of ice cream and anime."

"I probably could," Serena agreed. Tears began to stream from her eyes again. She looked at everybody. "I don't know what I would do without you guys. I'm serious." Serena was embarrassed to tell them that she had never had friends like them before, friends that cared for her and worried about her and were willing to lend her an ear when she was ready to talk.

"You're part of our family, Serena," Damien informed her. Everybody nodded.

"You know the three of us have your back," Dean told her. Seth and Roman nodded. "Forget those women, Serena. Their jealousy makes them ugly."

"There's nothing to be jealous of," Serena told him with a laugh.

"Bullshit," Wade and Dean said in unison. It caught everybody immediately. AJ looked over at Dean, cocking an eyebrow. Wade nodded, as if he had his suspicions confirmed. Serena was still too upset to notice anything but the bruising and the scratches.

"The guys are right," AJ told her cheerfully. "They have every reason to be jealous of you. You are tougher than any of us. Don't shake your head, because you are. You just don't see it because I know you're still suffering. But you are made of Teflon. It just rolls off you. Are we clear?"

"I think I hit one of them in the face."

"I hope you hit her good," Damien cracked. Serena started laughing, covering her face with her hands. Everyone laughed along. Damien shook his head. "This is unacceptable. We cannot let this sort of treatment stand. I would like to think this locker room is more civilized than to go around bullying the backstage personnel."

"You couldn't be more right about that, Damien," Dean agreed.

"You know, the irony that Alicia is so involved with the Be-A-Star campaign isn't lost on me," Serena piped up. Everyone started laughing. Wade rested his head against the wall as he chuckled softly.

"You know, I never thought of that," Cody said. Damien's eyes were twinkling with laughter.

"And with that being said, I think I'm going to get into this lovely purple turtleneck AJ brought me and go face Dr. Rios. He's probably irate," Serena mused. They shook their heads.

"I explained what happened," Seth told her. "He's not angry at you."

"Thanks, Seth. I mean it: I don't know what I would do without you guys."

"You'll never have to know," Dean promised her. She hugged him tightly and began to cry. Wade rubbed her back soothingly. AJ watched the whole exchange and knew she needed to have a talk with Serena when she came over for girl's night.


	10. Chapter 10

Serena looked up at the blinking diamond stars in the sky and found herself smiling. With everything she had been through, sometimes she tended to forget about the simple things in life, like the simple beauty of nighttime, like the rushing waters of the oceans or the scent of a flower. Even though she constantly vowed to never take anything in her life for granted again, she always tended to forget.

It was almost two o'clock in the morning after _Raw_, and the fans were long gone. All that was left were several Superstars, Divas and crew members who were slowly making their way out to their cars. It was a cool night, but not quite bone-chilling. Her car was already packed and ready to go, but Serena was caught with the sudden urge to enjoy the stars in the sky.

"Hey. Can we talk?"

Serena turned to find Dean standing by himself, his hands jammed in his pockets. She smiled. Earlier on in the night, Seth, Dean and Roman had brought Serena dinner at Dr. Rios' office so she wouldn't have to worry about facing Alicia, Rosa and the Bella twins. It had been a nice, quiet dinner. Serena had regaled them with tales of her girl's night with AJ and Kaitlyn, leaving out the important bit of information where the two of them talked to her about what was going on with Dean Ambrose and Wade Barrett. Since then, she found herself confused. Serena didn't know if she had the courage to bring up the subject with Dean. "Of course," she answered with a smile. He walked down the three steps and joined her on the concrete barrier.

"What are you doing out here?"

"I just had the urge to watch the stars," Serena confessed. "It's hard sometimes, but I know I tend to take the little things for granted."

"I think we're all guilty of that now and then," Dean told her. There was a comfortable beat between the two of them. "It's a beautiful night."

"It sure is," Serena agreed with a sigh. Since her talk with AJ, she could feel a new aura resonating from Dean. It confirmed AJ's suspicions. Serena kept her eyes on the night sky. "So what's going on?"

"Serena, do you like Wade Barrett?"

"He seems nice enough, but I don't think that's what you're asking."

"You'd be right."

"I don't know how I feel," Serena confessed. "A long time ago, I used to think of my future. You know, am I going to have the nice little house with the white picket fence, a nice husband and a litter of kids. These days, I don't think that far ahead; I'm too busy struggling through my life day to day." She looked over at him, silently observing that his hair was always hanging in his face. "Is that why you tracked me down? You're telling me not to go for it?"

"Nope," he answered. "I'd never stand in the way of you being happy."

"Am I going to be in the position where you think differently of me if I do something you don't agree with?" Serena asked. "You've got me feeling like I'm going to do something stupid."

"Absolutely not," Dean assured her. "I'm one of your biggest supporters."

"I've never had to doubt that," Serena told him, putting a hand over his. She gave it a gentle squeeze. "It's been forever since I've felt like I have a family, you know. You, Seth, Roman, Damien, Cody, Wade, AJ…I never hear from my mother. It's always been that way."

"I'm sorry…"

"Don't be. I'm just saying that it feels nice to have people care. I know it might seem like I'm not aware of it, or I take it for granted now and then, but I do appreciate it. I really do."

"I know. None of us doubt that, Serena."

"You know, it's been forever since I've been on a date," Serena confessed with a laugh. "Or gone and gotten my haircut. I've never really thought about it, but I've kind of let my life become abnormal. Then I think about what my life was like before, and it wasn't that great. My friends were shallow, and they pretty much left me hanging after everything happened. The guys just wanted to get into my pants. College was like high school all over again. Now, I think about dating and I just think: who would want me? The baggage that comes with me is astronomical, and it's going to last for the rest of my life, what with the parole hearings and the trauma and the therapy. I'm never going to be normal again."

Dean made a sound. "Normal is overrated anyway," he told her. "I hate when you think like this, though. Any guy would be lucky to have you. If Seth, Roman and Wade were here, I'm sure they'd agree with me." He wished he could lay it all out for Serena, but he was worried about the damage he would cause. Dean had talked it out with Roman and Seth and decided the best course of action would be to stand back and watch Wade carefully. They were the Shield; if Serena was wronged, Dean knew the three of them could make Wade rue the day he was born.

"You would think so," Serena said with a laugh.

"I do think so." He looked at Serena, only illuminated by the moonlight. "Are you thinking of dating again?"

"At some point, I guess," she answered. "One of these days I'm going to need to start piecing myself back together. Holding a steady job is a pretty good first step, I'd say." Dean smiled.

"Wade likes you, you know," Dean told her.

"You think so?"

"I think so," he confirmed. He put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. "Eventually you're going to have to stage a full-on return to the land of the living. We're all waiting for you." She laughed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Live a little, Serena. The worst is behind you."

"You're right," she told him with a smile. "You're absolutely right."


	11. Chapter 11

_"You're really lovely, underneath it all…"_

Serena was swaying back and forth as she dried the last of her dishes and put them away, murmuring the words under her breath. She was dressed in a black turtleneck dress that ended at her knee. She didn't bother belting it at the waist, just letting it hang loose. The sleeves ended at the crook of her elbow. She was texting with Dean and Seth. They were waiting to meet with Roman for a Shield meet and greet in Chicago.

Her doorbell rang. She jumped, almost dropping the plate in her hands. She put it down on the counter and tried to catch her breath. She wasn't expecting anyone. "One of these days it's going to be so nice to not be afraid of answering my door," Serena murmured under her breath, laughing in spite of the fear she felt. She put the rag down on the island counter and walked to the front door. She peered through the peephole and she flung the door open in surprise.

"What are you doing here?"

She blinked. Wade Barrett stood on the other side of the door, dressed in a black T-shirt, his grey zip-up hoodie and blue jeans. Beside him was his suitcase. Wade laughed. "You aren't happy to see me?"

"No, no, of course you are," Serena told him with a laugh, the initial wave of shock subsiding into the pleasant feeling of surprise. She took Wade by the wrist and pulled him into her cottage, closing the door behind him. Outside the sky was grey and overcast. The weather channel said there was a chance of sun and rain intermittently, so Serena knew it could go either way. Wade put his suitcase down in front of the main closet and hugged Serena, giving her a tight squeeze. "You should have said something about coming out, though. I would have gotten the spare room cleaned up and I would have run…"

"It was a spur of the moment thing, love. I'm sorry," he apologized. "Roman gave me your address. I told him you wouldn't mind, so please don't get too mad at him."

"I'm not mad at him at all," she said with a laugh. She pulled back, but he kept his hands on her hips. "I'm just surprised, that's all. How was your flight?"

"Boring, but mercifully short," he said with a laugh. He moved his hands from her hips. "You look lovely today. I didn't realize you wear turtlenecks at home, too."

"Thanks," she said, deciding to just ignore his observation about the turtleneck. "Well, welcome to my home."

"It's a nice little place," Wade said, looking around her living room.

"Thanks. How about we get you settled and then I'll take you out for lunch? There's a really nice little bistro in town that I always go to." There was a new energy about her. Wade realized quickly that she was ecstatic to have company. He smiled.

"That sounds great."

"Follow me," she said as she started making her way up the stairs. Wade followed close behind. "Forgive the mess in the room. I started straightening it up after Dean left and rearranging it, but I got too lazy to make the bed and Swiffer the floor."

"It's fine, love." They reached the top of the stairs. She opened the second door on the left. Wade walked into the sky blue bedroom, the windows covered by sheer white curtains. The bed was a decent size, big enough for two. The pillows were stacked in two rows of two. The baby blue, black and white comforter was bunched up at the head of the bed. Light blue sheets were in a folded pile on the bed, along with the pillow cases.

"I should probably apologize in advance if this bed is too short for you. You're considerably taller than Dean," Serena observed. Wade put an arm around her shoulder and drew her close, chuckling.

"It's fine. Everything is fine. Stop worrying so much."

Serena moved away from him and went to the bed to get it made. Wade went to the other side of the bed to give her a hand. "Thanks," she told him. In less than three minutes, the bed was made. "It's nice to have you here," she confessed. Wade flashed her a grin. "I'll let you get settled and then we'll go for lunch."

"That sounds great."

"I'll meet you downstairs when you're ready to go," she said with a soft smile. She left the room. He could hear her footsteps down the stairs. He sat down on the bed, thankful to find it was comfortable. He was thankful that Serena wasn't angry that he had shown up on her doorstep unannounced. He looked out the bedroom window at her big backyard, decorated sparingly with two lounge chairs and an outdoor dining set. He decided he could unpack later and went downstairs, where he found Serena readjusting the purse strap over her left shoulder.

"Good to go, love," Wade told her with a smile.

"Great. It's only a ten minute walk. I figure you're probably tired of sitting," Serena told him.

"You have no idea," he laughed. He watched Serena set the alarm and the two of them left. About halfway there, the rain started to fall, a light drizzle. The sky was bright, the sun trying to escape from its spot behind the blackened clouds. "Doesn't seem to know what it wants to do today," he laughed.

"Yeah, the weather channel said it was going to be all over the board. I don't mind a little rain," Serena told him. She sighed. "I always thought small town life was boring, but I'm just so in love with this place."

"Do you ever miss New York?"

"Not really, but I suppose it has to do with all of the memories I've got."

"Fair enough," Wade conceded. They walked into the bistro. It was a clean, well-lit little place with soft music that played in the speakers. They sat down at a table by the window and watched the rain fall.

"I think there's going to be a rainbow," Serena said. "It's hard for me to be unhappy when I see one."

The waiter arrived. "The usual, Serena?" he asked.

"You know me too well, Tanner," she said with a smile. He looked at Wade.

"I guess I'll go for whatever the usual is," Wade said, confused. He nodded and disappeared. "I didn't order eel or something, did I, love?" Serena laughed.

"I'm not that crazy. It's just a ham and Swiss on rye with extra honey mustard and bacon and a raspberry and cream cheese Danish. With a cappuccino, of course," Serena told him. "I've been coming here twice a week for the past six months. It's usually the only way I socialize when I'm not on the road with you guys."

"It seems like you've built up a good routine," Wade pointed out. She nodded.

"Just the quiet existence I've always craved," Serena told him. In a matter of minutes, the waiter returned with a big tray that had their lunches. Wade was surprised at the size of the sandwiches and the Danishes. Serena picked up the first half and bit into it.

"I've seen you. You eat like a bird," Wade pointed out. "You really eat all this?"

"It depends on how I'm feeling," Serena confessed. "Today I'll finish one of these. Some days, though, I just pick at it. I end up taking half of it home for later."

"What else do you do around here for fun?" he asked.

"Not much. There's an ornamental garden up the road that I like to walk through. It's really beautiful. I've been a couple times. I dragged Dean up there once, but I don't think flowers are really his thing," Serena confessed with a laugh. "I get it, walks and flowers…it's kind of girly."

"I didn't say anything," he told her with a grin. She sipped on her coffee. When they finished their lunch, Wade talked her into going up to the ornamental gardens. The rain had stopped and the sun was coming out, though the sky was still a little grey. They walked through the gate. Wade's eyes were instantly assaulted with colorful flowers.

"How long were you thinking about sticking around for?" Serena asked. "Not that it's a big issue. I'm just curious."

"I was thinking two or three days," Wade said. "Is that all right?"

"Of course it is," she said. He could see a new light in her. The ornamental garden obviously made her happy. "I just love this place. I planted some flowers at home, but I've never been much of a gardener. I'm almost afraid of how they're going to end up."

"I'm sure it'll be fine," he assured her. There was a beat between the two of them. He sighed. "Serena, I have something to tell you that's kind of important."

"What's that?" she asked. She was examining a rosebush, running her fingers along the pink petals.

"It's about Alicia. I kind of used to date her," Wade admitted.

"I know." She turned to him. "Dean told me."

"Oh."

"She's responsible for her own actions. What she's been doing to me isn't your fault," Serena told him. They fell back in step with one another. "I've learned that. It's easy to blame everybody else for the way people act, but it ultimately comes down to you. She chooses to act like this. So does Rosa and Brie and Nikki. It has nothing to do with you. You've got nothing to feel bad about."

"I can't help feel a little responsible."

"You have nothing to apologize about. I would have said something earlier that I knew, but I really didn't think it was important," Serena told him.

"Why did Dean tell you then?" Wade asked, suspicious.

"I asked him why she hated me. He pretty much boiled it down to jealousy," Serena confessed. Wade nodded.

"There's a lot to be jealous of," he told her. Serena snorted.

"Please."

"I'm serious. You're a sweetheart, love. The lot of us are lucky just to know you."

"I don't know about that, but thank you. I'm lucky to know you guys," Serena confided. Wade draped an arm over her shoulder. She hugged him. The two of them exited the ornamental gardens and started walking back towards Serena's cottage. "It's nice to feel like I have a family."

"Isolation's no fun, is it?"

"I guess you know that as well as I do," Serena observed. "I imagine your family is still back in the UK."

"You would be correct about that," he told her. "Do you talk to your family much?"

"No. They don't seem to care that I still exist," Serena confessed. "My family's always been fractures and fragmented. It just got worse after my dad died and everyone started fighting over the will."

"I'm sorry."

"You don't have to be. It always surprises me how ugly people can be to each other, especially when there's family involved. I mean, my life could have been a lot worse growing up, but my father – God bless him – was a pushover and my mother is a narcissist living on her own planet."

"You turned out all right," Wade told her. She smiled.

"I was going down that road," she confessed. "Before everything happened, I was the vapid, shallow girl that people always made fun of. The only thing I was missing was a purse with a little dog in it. My heels were always high, skirts always short. As horrible as it sounds, I kind of got a severe wake-up call. When I needed those people around me, I didn't have _anybody_. It was pretty devastating."

"How did you meet The Shield?"

"My first night," Serena confessed. "Dean sought me out. Dean doesn't outright say it, but I know he followed the news. I'm sure he told Seth and Roman everything. He came to me while I was unpacking my things for the first night and told me if I ever needed anything, he was there. I'm really thankful for his friendship. I don't know what I would do without him."

She stopped dead in her tracks. "What is it, love?"

"I don't recognize the red car in my driveway," Serena told him. He took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. He started to walk, but she had planted her feet. He stopped and turned to her.

"I'm here. I won't let anything happen to you. Come on. Let's go check it out." She nodded, but Wade noticed she was moving very slowly. As they got closer to her home, Wade spotted a news van driving down the block. He looked at Serena, who was visibly shaking.

The van stopped in front of Serena's house as they stepped onto the front lawn. "What in the hell is going on?" Wade whispered. Serena shook her head; she was speechless. She looked at the front steps and her jaw dropped. "Sarah? What are you doing here?"

Serena walked quickly across the lawn while the cameramen worked feverishly at the truck. Wade rushed after her. The woman stood up. She had thick brown hair and little eyes, dressed in a blue sundress. "I've been waiting for you to get back. Serena, I have some bad news, and I don't want you to be alarmed."

"What's going on? Why are these cameramen here?" They turned to see them rushing across the lawn. More camera crews were pulling up. She felt the familiar waves of anxiety begin. Wade gripped her shoulders tightly to keep her standing. "Spit it out, Sarah. What's going on?"

"He's escaped, Serena. The Staten Island Slasher is back on the loose."

Serena blinked. "Are you sure?"

"I came as soon as we got confirmation."

It suddenly felt hot around Serena. Her chest was constricted and she found she couldn't breathe. It felt like everyone was crowding her. She bolted away from everybody, up the steps. Cameramen followed, shouting questions at her she barely heard. It took her a try or two to get the door open, but she practically fell into the house, slamming the door behind her. The cameraman opened the screen, but Wade was there, grabbing him by the scruff of his shirt and practically shoving him off the balcony. He looked at Sarah, his eyes blazing.

"Get these vultures the fuck out of here, will ya?" he snarled. He stood in front of the door and thought about Serena, who was finally starting to do well. Now they were back to square one. He opened his cell phone and called Seth. He waited for him to answer, watching as Sarah tried to urge everybody off the property. Wade shouted a threat to call the cops as Seth picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Seth, it's Wade. I know you have an appearance today with the boys. Is Dean with you? It's important."

"He sure is," Seth confirmed. "One second."

"It's her right to know!" a cameraman protested.

"It's not your right to treat her like a commodity! She's a human being!" Wade shouted back. "How would you like it if it was your sister, or your mother? You ought to be ashamed."

"What do you want, Barrett?"

"It's bad news, Dean. Serena's in bad shape."

"What did you do to her?" he raged.

"I did nothing," Wade shot back defensively. "There's fucking press and reporters camping out on her lawn. They're saying her tormentor's escaped prison."

"Motherfucker!" Wade had to hold the phone away from his ear as Dean shouted a few more obscenities. He put the phone back to his ear. "Are you done with the outbursts, Ambrose?"

"I'm just getting started," Dean told him. "Hold tight and lock up the house. We're packing up the car. We're on our way!" Wade snorted.

"Are you out of your mind, Ambrose? It's an eleven hour drive!"

"Don't even care. I'm not going to wait a few hours to catch a flight. I'm leaving now."

"Does this even make any sense to you?"

"We're driving. Too late now," Dean told him. Wade shook his head. He wasn't thinking clearly, but Wade couldn't blame him. He could barely think. The cameramen were trying to plant their heels in. The woman identified as Sarah had already left. Wade recognized her from somewhere, but he didn't know where. He stood in front of the door and watched. "Stay with her. Don't let her out of your sight," Dean told him. Then the phone went dead.

Wade sighed and watched more news trucks pull up as the other ones pulled away. Turning, Wade disappeared into the house and locked the door behind him.


	12. Chapter 12

He found Serena in her semi-cluttered attic, sitting against the back wall underneath the circular window. Outside, they could hear the shouts and instructions of the press below, all of them camping setting up shop on the front lawn. There was pounding on her front door. Wade approached and sat down beside her, resting his head against the wall. They were silent for what seemed like forever, the only sounds being the noise outside and the pounding on the door. Serena could hear them calling her name asking her to talk to them, not realizing that they were giving away her location. That he could see her house on the news.

"He hit Shaun first. With a stun-gun," Serena told him, cutting through the semi-silence. "We never saw it coming. Shaun hit the ground and he was out. You know, I've spent years, growing up in New York, thinking what I would do if something was to happen to me, and you know what I did? I just stood there. I stood there like an idiot while Shaun convulsed on the ground. That's when he shot me. I was out for a long time."

"Serena…" Wade started, but she shook her head.

"I couldn't tell you where we were. Reporters said it was in the middle of nowhere, I say it was in the middle of Hell. I woke up with him slapping me. Shaun was already awake. He threatened to kill him. We'd only been dating for two months. Whenever he was out of earshot, I'd tell Shaun we could survive this. I told him he had to live. I got tortured first. Shaun got to watch what he did to me and then I got to watch what he did to Shaun."

"Did he…?" Serena nodded. "Sweet Jesus." Wade put his head in his hands.

"As the days went by, I was becoming more and more aware that we weren't going to get out alive," Serena told him. There were no tears in her eyes, but Wade could tell that talking about it disturbed her greatly. "I knew Shaun had a loving, tight-knit family, but I didn't think anyone was looking for me. He had us chained like animals to these pegs that were in the floor. We tried to pull them out, but we couldn't. They were right in there.

"On the third night, the night before he was supposed to finish what he started, there was a raid. He knew they were there. He had the place set up to alert him. He thought he could kill us and sneak out the back. He was cursing and agitated. He slashed Shaun's throat. I watched Shaun…he gurgled and he slumped over and his eyes…they were so wide and vacant. I started screaming. He came at me. I should have been the first, but he was the closest to Shaun, and he knew he was pressed for time.

"The police were pounding on the door and he knew he needed to run. He slashed at my throat. I was in such shock that I fainted. The doctors said that my split second movement kept me from dying.

"I was out for a couple days. They said I was malnourished and suffering from several infections along with the injuries I had. Apparently it was pretty touch and go. I caught a really bad infection from the knife he used. I woke up alone in a hospital room hooked up to all sorts of machines. It sounds stupid, but I thought they could save Shaun. He was dead before the police even got into the cabin."

"Serena, I'm so…" Wade started.

"My mother was happy to grant interviews afterwards, talking about how grateful she was for the public's support and how she was so happy I was alive, but she hadn't even come to the hospital to see me," Serena told him. "That's the way she's always been. She has to be the center of attention, no matter the circumstance. While she was talking to the press, telling them I was in 'great spirits', I was lying in a room being poked and prodded like a pin cushion, photographed. At that point, my dignity had pretty much been snatched from me, so I didn't even care. I just lay there and took it. All I could think about was Shaun. How it was so unfair that the guy who had the good family and the bright future was the one who died. I talked to his family and told them I wasn't going to go to his funeral. The press converged on it like vultures and I didn't want to overshadow it. His mother understood. I felt like the worst human being missing it, but Shaun deserved to have the focus on him." The tears were beginning to shine behind her eyes.

"He's not going to get his hands on you, Serena. I promise," Wade assured her. She smirked.

"You can't promise me that."

"Dean, Seth and Roman are on their way. Between the four of us, he's not getting near you, love."

"You called them."

"I had to. Dean would kill me if I didn't." She nodded. The pounding was still going. The doorbell rang.

"Fucking tossers," Wade snarled. Serena stood. "You're not answering the door."

Serena pulled off her dress, revealing the short black skirt slip and crop-top styled bra she wore underneath. She felt vulnerable, standing in front of Wade in her underwear, but she felt the need to get it all out. Wade gasped. On her left side, he could see the unmistakeable tic-tac-toe shaped scar. There was a knife shaped scar, red, ragged and angry on her right shoulder. There was several other scars on her back, between her shoulder blades and a small cross carved on the top of her right breast. There was a very small scar on her neck, at the junction between the shoulder and the collarbone, where he had tried slashing her throat. There was a scar on the meat of her right arm, spiral shaped. He had fun with Serena, toyed with her and tortured her. Wade stood and approached, staring at all of the scars. Without a word, she held up her hair and turned her back to him. That's where Wade saw the '8' shaped scar on the back of her neck. The second he touched it, she began to sob uncontrollably. She let go of her hair and turned to him. Without a word, he gathered her in his arms. Tears burned behind his eyes, but he refused to let them fall. He needed to be strong for Serena. He understood very well now why she wore all the turtlenecks.

He stroked her hair as she cried. "He's coming back for me, Wade," she told him tearfully.

"He'll never get his mitts on you," Wade assured her soothingly. "I think you need to get some rest, Serena. I'll call Vince and let him know what's going on, if Dean hasn't done it already."

"I can't rest. Not knowing he's out there," Serena told him. She stepped away from him, shaking her head.

"Serena…"

"I'm so dead."

"Don't talk like that. Everything's going to be fine."

"Those idiots out there are going to be doing live broadcasts from here and they're going to lead him directly to me! He could be here in a matter of hours!" She left the attic. Wade followed her quickly, trailing her into her bedroom. It was decorated in burgundy, violet and white. It was a very well-decorated room. Serena went into her closet and pulled out a Shield T-shirt, sliding it on. Then she tied her hair back, something Wade had never seen her do before. Wade turned away as she pulled on a pair of jeans and took off the slip skirt, tossing it into the hamper.

"Serena, they could always catch him. I'm sure they've set up road blocks everywhere for the wanker. He's not going to get far." She shook her head.

"He evaded police for a year with the FBI hunting him," Serena informed him. "If he wants to go undetected, he knows how to do it." There was more knocking on the door. "Wade, do me a favor and call the police. We need to get these guys out of here."

"I'm on it, love." He picked up his cell phone and left. Serena sat down on the bed. It felt like the weight of the world had been lifted off her shoulders, telling Wade and showing him the scars she had. She knew she needed to do it again for Dean, Seth and Roman.

Wade returned, with Serena's cell phone in his hand. "You've got a message. I imagine it's Dean," Wade told her. She took the phone. There were at least a dozen messages. _Serena, are you ok? Serena, I'm worried. Answer me when you get this please. _

_ I'm fine, Dean_, she replied and sent the text back. Wade sat down beside her.

"Are you going to be all right?"

"I think so," she answered. "I'm not going to sit here and cry 'why me', but I will say that I'll feel a lot better when this guy's been wiped off the face of the planet." Wade put an arm around her shoulder and she rested her head on his chest.

"I can't say I blame you."


	13. Chapter 13

It was twenty after midnight when Dean, Seth and Roman pulled up on Serena's block. They saw the police ushering the last of the press away from Serena's house. Roman looked over at Dean, who had been dour and silent the entire trip, sitting in the passenger's side, keeping his intense gaze on the road. Seth shook his head. "As if Serena hasn't been through enough…" he said, shaking his head in disgust. He stopped the car behind an ABC News truck and killed the ignition. Dean was already out of the car, walking across the lawn with purpose, his gaze fixated on the front door. The entire trip had been torture for Dean, who worried about Serena's safety with the press convening on her lawn.

One of the officers stepped in front of him. "You need to leave."

"Back off, copper, I'm in no mood," Dean warned him darkly. Seth and Roman ran up behind Dean, grabbing him by the shoulders and ushering him back. The officer, a tall redwood of a man, looked like he was ready to swing for Dean's jaw, while Dean looked like he was ready to kill the officer where he stood. With Dean's heightened emotional state, Seth and Roman knew it was going to be their job to keep him calm and keep the situation from getting out of hand.

"We're not press, Officer. We're friends of Serena's and we've driven a long way to get here," Seth explained. The officer's eyes were still locked on Dean. "Don't mind our friend. He's just very concerned."

The front door opened and Serena came out onto the porch, stepping down the three wooden steps and onto the grass. She was in her bare feet. The second Dean's eyes rested on Serena he broke away from the guys, running towards her at full-speed. The officers didn't expect him to move so fast, unable to reach him before he caught Serena.

"Serena!" he said, wrapping her up in his arms and hugging her tightly. He swung her to and fro with his embrace. "God, I've been so scared," he confessed. He kept his grip on her tight. He never wanted to let her go.

"You know these men?" the officer asked. She nodded.

"They're my best friends," she told him. She hugged Dean back just as tight, thankful she could put his mind at ease. The officers left them as Seth and Roman approached.

"Are you okay, Serena?" Seth asked.

"I'm scared to death," Serena confessed. Dean squeezed her tighter. "How was the drive? You know a flight would have gotten you three here a lot faster than driving." They motioned at Dean, who was still clinging to Serena like a second skin and she nodded.

"Come on. You guys must be exhausted and hungry for something that didn't come out of a drive-through. I'll make you something to eat." She disentangled herself from Dean and went into the house, the three of them following close behind. Dean looked around.

"Where's Barrett?"

"Upstairs reading," Serena answered. "I need to talk to you guys, and Wade thinks it might be a good idea if I talk to you without him around." They nodded and followed Serena into the kitchen. She got out some pots and pans and set about making omelettes, grabbing a carton of eggs and a bag of shredded cheese out of the fridge. Dean, Seth and Roman sat down at the island.

"I think this is the first time I've ever seen you with your hair up," Seth observed. She nodded.

"I've had my reasons for keeping it down," Serena confessed. She turned away from them, showing them the '8' scar on the back of her neck. They gasped. "There's no nice way to say this, you guys, but he branded me." Knowing that now was the time to keep the ball rolling she took her shirt off and showed them her scars. She slid the cutting board, an onion and some bell peppers over to Seth to cut, but he was just as captivated by all the scarring as Dean was. They felt physically nauseous seeing the tic-tac-toe scar, complete with an x and an o on the inside of the boxes.

"Oh, my God, Serena…" Dean breathed. His hand reached out and touched the scar. Roman looked stricken. Dean's eyes fell on the cross scar. "Serena, I…"

"It's all right," she told him, brushing a strand of hair out of his face. It fell back into place. "Does this explain all the turtlenecks, you guys?" Dean touched the mark at the juncture of her neck. Seth and Roman nodded; they were stunned. Dean got up and hugged her. She laughed, but hugged him back. His grip was so tight on her she was having difficulty breathing. "It's all right, Dean. I promise you, I'm okay," she assured him. "This is going to sound ridiculous, but I had a feeling he'd at least attempt an escape. This guy was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. It was a matter of time before he felt a little too…_confined_."

"We need to get you out of here," Dean told her urgently. "We need to get you packed." Serena shook her head. "Serena, I love you to death and I mean this with no disrespect, but don't be fucking stupid about this. Your house is probably all over the news. He's probably on his way here now."

"I can't spend my life running," Serena told him. Seth was busy cutting up bell peppers. "This place is rigged up like a fortress. Alarms, motion-sensitive lights, you name it, I've got it."

"Think about what you're saying, Serena. He's probably on his way here for you and you just want to sit here If I have to carry you out of here, Serena, you're leaving. That's just all there is to it. Barrett should have gotten you out of here the second he saw the press on your lawn. That's what I would have done."

"I don't want to run anymore, Dean. Being afraid is exhausting."

"Don't think of it as running," Dean told her. "Think of it as saving yourself. God only knows what he's going to have in his arsenal if the police don't catch him by the time he's here."

"Dean, the cops are watching this place. They have the same thoughts you do. The second he shows up here, they're going to grab him. This is probably the safest spot I could be right now." She put everything together in the pan.

"Have you told Vince about this?" Seth asked. She nodded.

"I called him earlier. He told me to take all the time off I need to deal with this. He's scared. I could hear it in his voice. I've always heard Vince is hard to rattle." She put her shirt back on and grabbed some plates. The first one went to Seth. "I appreciate you guys being here. It means a lot."

"We're always here for you," Dean told her. Serena started making the second omelette. "But I still think we should get you out of here. You can stay with me, or you can stay with Wade, Seth or Roman. Just until this blows over." Serena knew he wasn't going to drop it. "I don't want you here when he shows up."

"He's going to have to get through a barricade of cops. Trust me; it's going to be fine."

"I'm with Dean. You should get out of here. In the chance he manages to get through the police, we don't want you here as a sitting duck," Seth told her. "I know you're tired of running. I know you're tired of being afraid. I get it. We get it. But we don't want you in danger." He looked at Serena's face. "What's wrong?"

"You don't smell that?"

"Smell what?" Dean asked. He sniffed the air. "It smells like gas."

"Get Wade," Serena told Roman. Upstairs, they heard a loud thump. They all looked at each other. "Wade?" Serena called. There was silence. No answer.

"I don't want to alarm anyone, but New Jersey is a short drive from New York," Roman pointed out. Serena shot him a look and he shrunk. Serena turned off the stove and rushed into the living room.

"Wade -!"

That's when there was the explosion outside.


	14. Chapter 14

The force of the explosion blew out all the living room windows. Serena was hit with a hail of glass she barely had time to cover her eyes for. She was swept off her feet, flying back several inches before she hit the floor hard. Outside, the explosion propelled several cop cars into the air. They hit the ground, the sound of metal and concrete meeting. Serena lay on the floor, eyes wide in shock. Dean, Seth and Roman practically fell out of their seats when the house shook from the explosion outside. They rushed out into the living room. "Serena!"

"Oh…" she murmured. Her ribs hurt. "Roman, go get Wade…" she managed.

"Jesus, what the fuck caused that?" Seth asked, staring down at all the broken glass. He moved carefully to the window, his eyes widening at the sight of the overturned and flaming police cars. Unconscious and several potentially dead bodies were strewn about the yard. Roman was making his way up the stairs two at a time, calling out for Wade. Seth and Dean helped Serena to her feet. She had a cut above her left eyebrow and on her right cheek. Dean noticed her right arm had a big piece of glass embedded in her skin. She grunted as Dean pulled it out. It was a deep wound that Dean was sure required stitches. He ripped a chunk of his shirt and tied it around her arm, tying it tight to apply pressure to the wound. She was dazed, her eyes vacant and wide. Dean could see that she was out on her feet.

"Serena, we need to get you to the hospital," Dean told her gently. She shook her head, looking towards the stairs. They could hear another small explosion and the sound of flames licking at the cop cars.

"Not without Wade and Roman…" she trailed off.

"She might have a concussion," Seth told him. There was another loud thump above them. "What the fuck?"

"I don't like the sound of that," Dean agreed. Seth looked at Dean and reached into his pocket, thrusting the keys into Dean's hand. "Take the car and get Serena to the hospital. We'll take her car and meet you there, all right? We can't be wasting time while she's bleeding out." Dean nodded.

"Come on, Serena," he coaxed. He tried to gently pull her towards the front door, but she planted a weak foot. Dean looked at her incredulously. "Serena!"

"Don't leave them behind," she whispered. She was shaking like a leaf.

"They're going to meet us at the hospital," Dean told her. She planted her feet. "Don't do this now, Serena. So help me God, I'm not afraid to pick you up and carry you."

"Dean's right, Serena," Seth told her. "Go get looked at. We'll meet you at the hospital."

"I'm scared," she told them. She began to cry. Seth lifted her gaze to his.

"Everything will be fine, Serena. I promise. Just go with Dean. We'll meet you at the hospital."

"My car keys are on the hook in the kitchen…" Serena started. She buckled. Dean picked her up.

"Get her out of here, Dean. I'm going to look in on Roman and Wade." Dean nodded. Seth opened the door and let Dean out of the house. The smell of burned flesh and gasoline hanged heavy in the air. He could hear sirens in the distance, but it was a small town. He had no idea if the local police department was equipped to deal with whatever was going on. Dean wasn't an idiot; he knew that New Jersey wasn't a far drive from New York. Dean knew there was a chance the Staten Island Slasher made it there before they did. He was just hoping it wasn't the case, but the carnage was telling him different.

Dean stopped, realizing the car was blocked by several overturned police cars. Fire was making its way towards the underside of the car. "Serena, can you walk?" he asked. Serena was half out of it, but she nodded. He put her down and together they moved swiftly, getting out of the yard in record time. He turned back towards the house. For a moment he contemplated running back to help the guys, but he knew he needed to get Serena to the hospital. Grabbing her wrist, he practically dragged her. They moved down the sidewalk as fast as she could manage.

"Serena, where's the hospital…?" Dean asked, but he realized quickly that Serena wasn't in any shape to give directions, let alone do much of anything. They were on the roadside, by a small hill that led down to a wooded area. He stopped, grabbing Serena by the face. "Serena, I need you with me. Are you with me?"

"I'm sorry…I'm trying…" she told him, but it was very clear she was in shock. Dean held onto her and they walked as fast as they could, clearing block after block. Dean wasn't even sure if he was going in the right direction. Cars drove past them, ignoring them. Dean was questioning his faith in humanity, watching people ignore Serena, who was obviously injured and bleeding.

Behind them, they heard the unmistakeable sound of a police siren. Dean turned with Serena in time for the car to come barreling at them. Without a second thought, Dean threw himself at Serena, the two of them tumbling down the small hill. Serena grunted as she hit the soft earth. The car narrowly missed them, stopping at the top of the hill. Dean scrambled to his feet in time to see the man get out of the car. It was very obvious he wasn't a police officer. Serena sat up, her eyes resting on her tormentor.

"Oh, God, _no_!" she whispered under her breath. She started moving backwards.

"Serena, run!" Dean told her.

"I don't think I can," she said. He was coming down the hill.

"Serena, you have to," Dean told her. "I'll fight him off. Just get up and run."

Serena scrambled back until she got herself in a standing position. "Come with me," she begged.

"I'll be right behind you," he promised. "Serena, I'm not going to tell you again: _run!" _

He was close. Serena turned, running towards the wooded area, hoping the trees would provide her cover. She turned in time to see Dean do a running lunge. "_No!" _she screamed. There was the sound of a grunt. She watched in horror as Dean slumped to the ground. He looked at her and smiled, walking towards her with purpose.

Turning, Serena began to run through the woods. Her shock had turned into a will to survive again. The branches and brambles tugged and tore at the clothing she wore, but she continued to run. He was coming, hot on her heels. She could hear him calling her, taunting her. She ran in a zigzag pattern, hoping to throw him off her trail. Her mind kept going back to Dean. Was he dead? He couldn't be. She wondered about Wade, Seth and Roman. She hoped they were safe. She wished she had never dragged them into her complicated web of an existence, but she knew that wishing and complaining would get her nowhere. She kept running, deeper into the woods. She could hear his voice in the air. He taunted her about Dean, about the others in the house. He said they were dead, but until she saw it, she refused to believe it. She kept running, hoping the other side of the woods would give way to the main road, but it wasn't happening.

She tripped. She got up right away, not wasting any time. Her arm throbbed and her knee hurt from the fall, but she continued to run. Her speed was cut drastically, the pain in her knee giving her a very visible limp. She kept moving, wishing for civilization to emerge from the other side of the woods, but it wasn't happening. The thought and fear of being lost was the furthest thing she was thinking about, instead focusing on how she was going to get out of this new situation alive. Her breathing was hitching and she knew a panic attack was imminent. But she continued to run.

"Come out, come out wherever you are, Serena," his voice rang clear in the darkness. "You can run, but you can't hide."

She kept moving, jumping over roots and branches. It was cold; she wasn't sure if it was from the night or the fact that the makeshift bandage Dean had made for her was stuck to her arm from all the blood she had lost. "Come on, Serena," she whispered to herself. "You're not chained this time. You can escape." She tried to force herself into positive thinking. She refused to think about the worst case scenario.

Serena tripped over a branch. With a small shriek, she fell, rolling down the steep incline she had been trying to avoid, coming to a stop in an ice-cold ravine.

She didn't move.


	15. Chapter 15

Serena's head rolled from side to side. Before her eyes were even open, she was very aware of the cold water chilling her bones, freezing her ears and soaking her clothes. The sound of the water rushing was deafening in her ears. Her eyes opened. The first thing she saw was the blinking stars high above the trees. After the initial moment passed, Serena remembered where she was. She remembered her house being blown up and she remembered being injured in the explosion. She remembered seeing Dean try to stop her tormentor, only to be left lying in a heap on the grass. Serena remembered that she had run into the woods, and he had followed her. She scrambled to her feet, slipping and falling back into the water. She was pretty sure she had bruised a rib in the fall.

She managed to get back to her feet, moving as fast as she could upstream. Falling into the water was a blessing in disguise; it would hide her footprints. It was still relatively dark, with daylight a few hours away. She was chilled to the bone, but Serena was trying to keep her thoughts on making it out of the woods alive. She slipped and scrambled through the water, but moved surprisingly fast considering her injuries. Serena supposed fear could make her do incredible things. It was the only explanation she had.

He called out to her. He was getting closer. Serena spotted a big thorny bush on the edge of the water. Pulling it back, she saw a hole in the ground, covered by a giant tree root. It was just big enough to fit her if she compacted herself like an accordion. Not even thinking about bugs or other creepy crawlies she moved the bush and got in. The thorns on the bush scratched and scraped her hands, but she didn't care, stopping only to utter a small curse word at the initial contact it made with her skin. Reaching into the back pocket of her jeans before she crouched down, Serena looked at her cell phone. It was dead, ruined when she hit the water. She was definitely on her own. "Shit," she whispered. Her hand came out of the hole, searching blindly for a weapon she could use. She found a thick stick, but it was stuck to the tree. She planted her feet against the wall and yanked as hard as she could. She got a sliver or two, but Serena was thankful when the piece snapped, leaving a knife-sharp edge from where the stick had torn.

"Serena!"

She jumped. Out of instinct, Serena cupped her hand over her mouth and tried to steady herself. A panic attack had been imminent for minutes, but she was doing her best to stave it off, stopping to take calm, slow deep breaths. He was maybe about twenty feet away from her, his voice carrying over the water. He was shouting the vulgar, most offensive threats she had ever heard. She kept her hand clamped over her mouth. Tears streamed down her face, mixing with the dirt and blood that had accumulated during her run through the woods. She was freezing cold, thankful that the rushing water was hiding the sound of her teeth chattering.

For the first time in a long time, Serena put her hands together and prayed. She prayed that Wade, Dean, Seth and Roman were all right. She prayed that somebody stopped to save Dean. She didn't care if her house was still standing. She just wanted to know that her friends were safe.

There was silence. Serena felt her eyes becoming heavy but she forced herself to stay awake. She clutched the stick to her like it was a security blanket. She wondered if she could actually do it; kill another human being. Serena knew she was no monster, but she also knew her life was in danger. He wasn't going to stop until he killed her, so she knew she needed to adopt the "kill or be killed" mentality, but she was having a hard time. She looked at the stick. _I'm not an executioner, _she thought to herself bitterly.

The silence was thick. She was pretty sure she could hear an owl hooting in the trees. As the time passed, Serena found herself becoming calmer. Had he run past her? No, she realized. She didn't hear him. She knew it was hard to hear anything over the sound of the water. The exhaustion was setting in. All she wanted to do was sleep, but she knew she couldn't. She had to stay awake until this was all over.

She kept thinking back to the guys. Roman, Wade and Seth were back at her house, but what kind of condition was it in? If they were in danger, she hoped the police made it in to rescue them. She thought about Dean, and prayed that he wasn't lying dead on the roadside. He had tried to save her. She owed him her life; he had given her a chance to survive that she had barely taken.

"I got you, you little bitch."

He had a tight grip on her hair. He stood, pulling her out of the hole like she weighed nothing. The thorny bushes scraped her face and her body, but she was busy holding onto her hair. She screamed. He slugged her. She felt herself go out on her feet. The stick ended up out of her hands, but close by as she hit the ground. "There's no one to help you now; I've seen to that," he told her. He straddled her, parking himself over her stomach. He leaned close. "I'm going to kill you slow." His smile was sinister, chilling Serena to the bone.

He put a hand around her throat and squeezed. Serena started to sputter and cough as she felt her airways constrict. His other hand was busy exploring her body. She felt sick to her stomach. One hand was clamped around his wrist as the other searched blindly for the stick. She saw the blade in the waistband of his pants. She thought about making a grab for it, but she knew he would be expecting her to do that. It would mean certain death if she couldn't catch him by surprise. The sun was starting to come up, the darkness fading into light morning.

Her hand found the stick and she felt a thick, flooding wave of relief. Keeping the one hand around her throat, his attention and his free hand were focusing on getting her jeans undone, then getting his jeans undone. With all the force she could muster, Serena brought the piece of wood up. It punctured his throat enough to make him let go of her. She sat up, pushing, forcing the stick through his throat. The entire time, she was screaming. She turned her head away to avoid getting the arterial spray in her mouth and eyes. He gurgled, his eyes widening the way that Shaun's had. He backed away from her and she kicked the piece of wood further into his neck, making him fall into the hole she had just been dragged out of. Serena couldn't stop screaming; her wails cut off by sobs and hiccups. She looked at the blood on her hands, mixed with dirt and leaves and she kept screaming.

She had done it. She had killed him. He would never come back for her. No jury would ever convict her. It was the most clear-cut case of self-defence a lawyer would see. Her scream was cut off by a torrent of nausea. Serena started to cough, the coughing turning into full on wretches until she threw up. "Oh, God," she cried out. "_Oh, God!"_

She let her body drop to the dirt. Her breath was ragged, her body heaving with unused sobs. She wept. She cried for Dean, Seth, Roman and Wade, four nice guys who had been trapped in the complicated web of her life. She bawled for Shaun, who would never again know the feeling of the dirt under his body or air in his lungs. She cried until there weren't any more tears for her to cry and then she crawled over to the hole. His eyes were closed, he was unmoving. The piece of wood was still lodged in his throat. Her eyes narrowed. He was dead and she couldn't be happier. She spit on his body. Normally, she was more respectful, but the man in the hole did not deserve her respect. He wanted to kill her for whatever twisted reason he had. But she had survived.

Serena started to laugh. She had survived _twice_. She laughed until her body quaked. Struggling to her feet, Serena fixed the zipper and button on her jeans. She would forever wear his scars, but he would never come back for her. The feeling of finality, of the darkest chapter of her life closing, made her feel like the weight of the world had been taken off her shoulders. Adrenaline coursed through her veins. She looked across the water and decided to try and make her way out of the woods. Serena left him in the hole and slipped, landing back into the water. She took a moment to lay there, dazed, and then she began to wash the blood off her arms and her face. She wondered if it was normal to still see it on her hands and on her face. She threw up again.

Her legs felt like spaghetti. She practically crawled back up the hill, back onto the flat land that would take her back to the main road. She stopped to try and catch her breath. She was dirty. Leaves clung to her hair, to her wet skin. Her teeth still chattered. She grabbed the nearest tree and used it to stand. In the short distance, she could hear sirens. She knew that the road wasn't far. Her head was feeling light, her eyelids feeling heavy. She tripped over a loose branch and hit the ground. She was out when she hit the ground.


	16. Chapter 16

**_A/N: My God, I am humbled and overwhelmed by the response to this story. It strikes me dumb lol. Thank you to everybody who has been reading. This is the penultimate chapter. The next one will be the last. Thank you everybody. You all rock so super-hard. _**

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_Beep, beep, beep…_

"Do you think she's ever going to wake up?"

_Beep, beep, beep…_

"It's not a matter of if, mate; it's a matter of when. Doctor says it's the worst case of shock he's ever seen."

_Beep, beep, beep…_

"I think I just saw her eye twitch."

_Beep, beep, beep…_

"Her fingers totally moved. Serena? Serena, wake up, beautiful."

Serena opened her eyes, instantly squinting from the bright light. Dean, Seth and Wade stood around her; the four of them dressed in the same mint green hospital gowns. Wade had a bandage on his neck. There were no visible bandages on Seth or Dean, though she knew he had been stabbed. Her eyes widened, alarmed. She felt a surge of panic rip through her. "Roman?" she asked. She looked to Dean. She tried to sit up, but Dean and Wade both put their hands on each shoulder, forcing her to stay down.

"Roman is fine," Dean assured her. "We figured you weren't going to be up for another couple hours and he had coffee on the brain, so we sent him to get a cup. He should be back any minute." Serena's face took on an expression of relief. She put a hand to her forehead, realizing very quickly that there was an IV stuck in her hand. Her injured arm was bandaged. She pondered how many stitches it took to close it up.

"I guess the first thing is first: what happened?"

"The fucking tosser got in through the bedroom window. Between the reading and the headphones, I didn't hear a bloody thing. I didn't know what hit me. I was reading one minute and fucking out the next. The nurse says he hit me with a Taser." He motioned to the bandage on his neck.

"He hid under the bed and attacked us," Seth explained. "He got me when I went to check on Roman and Wade. He tied us up and set the house on fire, Serena. I'm really sorry, but it's gone. The place is gutted, burned to the ground."

"I don't even care," she said. "I'm just so relieved you guys are okay. How did you get out?"

"The fire department," Roman said from his spot in the doorway. "We inhaled a lot of smoke, but otherwise we're healthy as horses." He sipped his coffee from the paper cup. She smiled at him. "It's nice to see you awake. I was starting to get worried."

"It's nice to see you're alive."

"Same to you," he told her with a chuckle.

Serena looked at Dean. "How…?"

"A couple stopped for me. I wanted to go into the woods for you, but they wouldn't let me. I could barely stand. He stabbed me in the hip. It's a little painful to move, but mercifully the trunks will cover my scar. They called the police, but they were waiting for officers to arrive from neighboring cities because of the explosion forcibly downsizing their department."

"How did I get here?" she asked.

"A couple officers went into the woods. It took them a couple hours, but they found you."

"Did they find him?" she asked. Dean nodded. "Is he…?"

"Oh, yeah," Dean told her. "Very."

"Are you all right, love?" Wade asked. She nodded.

"It was either me or him," she told them. They nodded. "I chose me."

"Thank God you're okay," Dean said, hugging her. He winced as he leaned down, but he didn't care about the pain. They hugged each other tightly. "I knew you were going to get out of this in one piece," he told her. "I'm so proud of you, Serena. You made it."

"I couldn't have done it without you, Dean. Thank God you're all right," she whispered. He pulled back.

"The police want to talk to you, love," Wade told her. "They want you to give a statement and get an idea of what exactly happened."

"Do you guys think I'm in trouble?" she asked. They shook their heads.

"With everything he did? Hardly," Seth assured her. "I mean, he killed four police officers, injured three others, injured us, tried to kill you, set your house on fire and blew up several cop cars. I wouldn't be surprised if they gave you a medal." Serena laughed, brushing a strand of hair out of her face.

"Four officers died?" Serena asked. Seth nodded. "Jesus, that's terrible."

"It sure is," Dean agreed. There was a beat. "When they found you, they said you were fading in and out of consciousness and babbling about other victims and bugs. The paramedics said they'd never see someone in shock like you were."

"It's a small town; I'd imagine they aren't used to dealing with much," Serena confessed.

"Do you have a place to go when you get out? Do you have somewhere to stay?" Dean asked.

"To be honest, Dean, I haven't really thought about much," Serena told him. "Do you think they're going to keep me here long?"

"They want to keep you overnight for observation," Wade told her. "They want to monitor your concussion and the shock. They said they might release you in the morning."

"That would be nice. Thank God for homeowner's insurance, though I'm not sure if they provide 'acts of madmen' coverage." The guys laughed. Serena laughed. On the one hand, it felt good for her to laugh; on the other, her ribs hurt. "It feels like my ribs are broken."

"Not broken. Just bruised," Dean told her with a smirk. "How did you manage that, by the way?"

"I fell down a hill," Serena confessed. Dean winced. There was a knock on the door. Serena looked up to see two police officers standing in the doorway. Dean and Wade took her hands, giving them a gentle squeeze.

"Good evening, Ms. Lords."

"Hello," she said. Her eyes betrayed her fear.

"How are you feeling?"

"I've seen better days, but I'm just thankful to be alive," she told them. They nodded.

"We have no doubt this was self-defence, but we need to get your side of the story." She nodded. "Are you up for it now, or would you prefer we come back later?"

"I can talk now," she said.

"Are you sure?" Dean asked. She nodded.

"You have the right to counsel," the officer told her. She dismissed it with a wave of her hand.

"I don't need it. I have nothing to hide," she told them. "Everything I tell you I'm sure the evidence will back up. I have no reason to lie." The officers nodded. They pulled up a chair and sat down beside her.

"How's the arm?" the first officer, a stocky blond with a name tag that read HOOLIHAN asked.

"The painkillers they have me on have me feeling next to nothing," she confessed. "It's probably for the best. Mentally, I'm a mess, though, so forgive me if some things are a little foggy."

"It's understandable," said the second officer, a lanky kid named PARSONS.

Serena told them what she could remember, answering their questions as best she could. Dean and Wade kept squeezing her hand as reassurance. The officers took notes, in awe of her quick thinking, understanding of her inner turmoil as she spoke of the conflict about using her makeshift weapon. She omitted nothing, recalling with horror how he threatened to kill her slowly, how he tried to torment her the same way he had before.

"Am I under arrest?" she asked. The officers shook their heads.

"You killed a serial killer who was trying to kill you," Parsons told her. "It's the clearest case of self-defence I've ever seen. Not that I've seen many," he added quickly. She nodded.

"I'm sorry about your colleagues," Serena told them somberly.

"Thank you, Ms. Lords," Hoolihan told her. "I'm glad you're all right."

"We all are," Dean told him. The officer stood.

"We'll keep in touch," Hoolihan told her. "Do you have a number where we can reach you?"

"No, but if I leave town, I'll be sure to leave contact information." He nodded. They got up and left. Serena rested her head against the pillow. She was drowsy, even though she had slept away most of the day.

"Hello?"

Serena looked up to see Stephanie McMahon, Triple H and Vince McMahon in the doorway. Stephanie held a giant pot of flowers. Serena smiled. "You've already got quite the party in here, don't you?" Vince cracked.

"It's a hospital gown party," Serena told him with a laugh.

"We were so worried when we heard the news. I told Hunter we had to fly out," Stephanie told Serena, rushing forward to put the flowers on the table and give Serena a hug. She winced. "Oh, gosh, I'm sorry!"

"Bruised ribs; it's fine," Serena assured her.

"Are you all right?" Hunter asked. Serena laughed.

"Considering the circumstances, I'm fine. Apparently my house isn't, though."

"Yeah, we drove by the site," Hunter confessed, sitting down in the empty chair. He looked at the guys. "What about you guys?"

"We're all right. Battered and bruised," Roman cracked.

"The roster sends their best," Vince told her. She smiled. "How long do they plan on keeping you?"

"They might be keeping me until tomorrow. I guess it depends on how I hold up through the night."

"If you need anything, Serena, don't hesitate to come to us," Hunter told her. Stephanie and Vince nodded.

"I appreciate that."

"Take as much time as you need before you come back," Stephanie told him.

"I might need another week or two," Serena conceded. "You know, to get re-settled."

"Understandable," Vince told her. He looked up at Dean and Seth. "She's a tough cookie, isn't she?"

"She has no idea," Dean said, his eyes focused on Serena. They all nodded in agreement. Serena felt herself blush. She looked down at her hands. There was a sense of freedom that accompanied the death of the Staten Island Slasher. Serena knew she didn't have to look over her shoulder any longer. She was free.


	17. Chapter 17

_**This is it, you guys. I just want to say thank you to everybody who took the time to read this and review this. I'm really blown away by the positive response this story has gotten. You guys are amazing. All the best, guys!**_

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The palm trees swayed with the gentle breeze. There wasn't a cloud in the bright blue sky. It was a perfect day for the beach. Instead of swimming, Serena was sitting in a car, her head rested to the side. She was enjoying the fresh air in her lungs and the beautiful warmth of the sun on her skin. The flight from New Jersey to Florida had been relatively short, but Serena managed to sleep through it. She woke up once mid-flight, after experiencing a nightmare. She wasn't surprised to find that she was still traumatized and exhausted from her ordeal. It would take her weeks to recover physically, but years to get her mind back together. She thought the only silver lining was that she had been down that road before. She sighed, an all-deflating sigh. The nightmare was over. Now was the time to recreate a normal life for herself, something she forgot existed.

Seth, Wade, Dean and Roman were all released first. Compared to Serena, their injuries were minor. Wade, Seth and Roman still had a cough, an after-effect from all the smoke they had inhaled. The doctor told them it would disappear eventually, but they just had to be patient. The stitches in Dean's hip made it difficult for him to move around. Everything he did seemed to be uncomfortable and in some cases, painful. As a result of their injuries, Vince and a producer came out and found an abandoned warehouse to film several Shield promos in. They would air them on _Raw _to keep them fresh in the minds of viewers, but it also gave them some valuable time to rest. Seth was still visibly shaken from what happened. Wade was desperate to get back to work, to put the madness behind him. He promised Serena he would give her a call when she was released, but she was still waiting. She assumed he was busy; Serena knew the life of a WWE Superstar was like four full-time jobs rolled into one.

Serena had nothing. The clothing she had worn was taken as evidence by the police. Stephanie McMahon had lent her a pair of sweatpants that were a little big and a T-shirt that was even bigger. She was just thankful to have something to wear out of the hospital. The cell phone company had yet to give her a new phone and her home was a pile of rubble. She was a long way from New Jersey now. She wasn't sure she ever wanted to return. The guys lived in Florida, and she had an urge to be close to friends. Dean wasn't being subtle about his desire to have her move to Florida.

The satellite radio played the Deftones. It wasn't Serena's kind of music, but she didn't care. The car turned onto a tree-lined street, moving further away from the beach. Serena knew she was fortunate enough to have people around her that cared. Vince and Stephanie gave her an extra two weeks off to get readjusted and to get her affairs in order. Serena appreciated that they gave her the extra time.

After another left turn, effectively striking the beach from her view, the car pulled into the driveway of a nice little house. Serena sat up straighter. She looked in the empty backseat and remembered she had packed light for the trip. As in, she had nothing. The car came to a stop and she took a deep breath. For a long time, Serena knew she had forgotten what it was like to live. It felt strange to know that nobody was following her, that nobody wanted her dead.

Serena got out of the car and silently vowed to herself to never take the simple things in life for granted. She had escaped death twice, an impressive feat. Now she wanted to revel in every pleasant feeling, no matter how little. She shut the car door and leaned against the car, staring at the house.

"Are you okay, Serena?" Dean asked. She nodded.

Dean. He had stayed with Serena for her entire stay at the hospital, refusing to leave her bedside. The nurses, too intimidated to ask him to leave, had set up a cot in her hospital room so he could spend the nights with her. If Serena needed anything, he was always close by to help her, to give her a shoulder to cry on and soothing words when she needed them. Dean hadn't let her out of his sight. Wade had offered to let her stay with him, but when it came time for her to be released she couldn't get in touch with him. That's when Dean had stepped in.

He came around the car and took his place beside her. "Are you sure?"

"I guess I'm a little overwhelmed," Serena confessed. "I have to piece my life back together, and I don't think I know what I'm doing." She laughed. "I'll be all right. How is your hip?"

"Fucking sore," he admitted. "The trip didn't help."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it, Serena. I'm just happy to be alive."

"You and me both," Serena told him. He held up his arm to her.

"Shall we?"

"You know it." She was afraid. Now that the worst was behind her, the unknown was sprawling in front of her. It was frightening, but she was ready for it. She had scratched and clawed her way out of the hole she had been falling into. The slings and arrows of her past were beginning to fall away, and she found once again that life was beautiful. It had taken her a while, but she realized that she was no victim.

She was a survivor.


End file.
